


Loopholes

by mscyanide



Series: Loopholes [1]
Category: The Originals (TV), Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Light BDSM
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-10
Updated: 2014-07-01
Packaged: 2018-01-08 05:18:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 44
Words: 116,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1128795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mscyanide/pseuds/mscyanide
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The vampire diaries following on from the season four final. The story doesn't follow the events in The Originals. Mostly focusing on Klaus and Caroline. Pairings: Klaroline / Delena / Kennett / Steroline (friendship). AU but as much to canon as it can be. Rated M for language and an awful attempt at smut later on. I've borrowed some lines from TO, TVD and Buffy. Please point out any errors.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Klaus**

A part of him didn't want to know, it wished to believe in the twisted fairy tale that was his current existence. It wanted to believe as wholeheartedly as his older brother. Elijah appeared to believe in earnest; the dutiful brother who was willing to let his own love die in order to further Klaus' cause, and now claimed to have left her to be at his side once more, believed.

So then…what if it was a lie?

What was one to think of the dutiful brother then?

Was it simply a case that Elijah was so set upon Klaus' " _redemption_ " that he was willing to believe any tall tale that furthered such a cause? Or was it all just fabrication? Had the dutiful brother finally reached his limit and taken up with the enemy to be rid of  _Him_.

Had Klaus pushed his brother so far as to turn him irrevocably against him?

So there was a part of him that went so far as to hope that this happy family portrait that Elijah peddled was real because if it wasn't…if it wasn't…then there was no coming back from this, not for the witches, not for Hayley and certainly not for his brother.

That part of him didn't want to know, that part of him wanted to believe that his drunken one-nighter was telling the truth, that the witches were telling the truth, but mostly that Elijah was –  _always and forever_.

A thousand years of betrayal, manipulation and blood had taught him however that whenever he went so far as to hope for something to be true it enviably wasn't. So though a part of him was begging to embrace ignorance, that larger part which had held governance for the most of his existence demanded answers.

Which had led him to the house that _wasn't_.

It was eerie; everything seemed hazy, like a memory from youth. One or two details perfectly clarified, but the majority obscured. Klaus knew it wasn't real, knew it was a fabrication perpetrated on him by his own mind - an invention created to make something familiar from the unfathomable.

Klaus knew fear. He had lived with it long enough, but _this_ , what he was feeling now, was something else. He was beyond afraid, he was petrified and yet…he had to know. And so he stepped closer and then, without knowing how it came to be, he was inside.

There was a woman before him and as obscured as his surroundings were she was vivid. They stared at each other unspeaking, time seemed to creep along. Minutes dragging like hours as the silence extended.

"How long has it been Niklaus?" she startled him, and though he gave no outward sign, she chuckled darkly. "Now I wonder…" she trailed off and the silence stretched. She moved closer or perhaps the space between simply shortened, he could not be certain. "Are we not to play today? Will you stand silent before me and force me to demonstrate my wares?" she smiled widely.

"I am to be a father," he told her his expression as dark as her smile was wide.

She laughed lightly, like a stream skipping over stones. "Since when do you have a sense of humour?"

"The witches of New Orleans assure me it is true."

The smile disappeared and she was suddenly within touching distance her black eyes boring into his. "Witches you say?" she moved back slowly, breaking eye contact. "What of the mother?"

"Werewolf…drunken one night stand." He shrugged noncommittally.

She circled like a large cat; "You have a bit of a problem."

He smirked; "You don't say."

"Hmmm, werewolves can procreate, vampires…cannot." She stopped in front of him again, head cocked to one side.

"I'm a hybrid; they say the pregnancy is one of nature's loopholes." He spread his hands bowing slightly.

She snorted rudely; "You shouldn't believe everything witches tell you, they are entirely too gullible." She smirked knowingly; "You disappoint me."

"Elijah believes it, and I heard the heartbeat." He informed her and waited.

She dropped her head, and just for a moment the smirk slipped; "I see."

She began slowly pacing back and forth before him. "So you want to know if your brother compelled the werewolf into believing that you and only you could be the father of the unborn burden or if the witches have played him for the Fool."

"Or should I be buying cigars?" for reasons he couldn't comprehend he asked.

"Did you happen to nail the werewolf in the middle of full coven of chanting witches?"

"Not that I recall."

She stopped pacing and smirked. "None of mine participating?"

"I think I would have noticed."

"Well then, on to your brother…betrayal or stupidity?" she held out her hand to him and he took it reluctantly. He felt a faint vibration run through him and watched as her eyes became a darker shade of black. "Neither."

He felt a chill creep up his spine, and he who hadn't been cold in a thousand years shivered.

She was not smirking now and looking in her eyes it seemed so unlikely that such a being could have ever smiled. She was cut from stone, her eyes a black abyss, voice was as icy as the grave. "You will have to go back; claim ignorance."

He felt as though he had missed a part of the conversation, "And why would I do that?"

Her eyes lightened ever so slightly, the face softened as the voice warmed "Do you need any other reason than that I am telling you to?" The semblance of smile drifted across her face.

He sneered and her eyes narrowed in response.

"Whatever you may think, you are only here because someone _sent_ you." She looked at him expectantly.

He nodded once in understanding. "Marcel is monitoring the witches somehow."

"So you are to discover how to withdraw Marcel's yoke and in exchange they will protect your unborn heir." Her lips pressed together.

"I thought we just established it isn't _mine_." He managed a small smile.

"Indeed. Desperate times and all that." She patted his hand almost consolingly and then she abruptly inclined her head, her eyes almost sparkling. "I want to meet her."

He was baffled; "Why do you want to meet Hayley?"

She laughed, slapping his arm lightly. "I wouldn't. I want to meet  _Her_." Curiosity danced in her eyes – a dangerous state for one such as her.

His expression darkened measurably. "No."

She smiled so broadly she put him in mind of the clinically insane. "I  _want_ to meet  _Her_ , so you can have her come to me, or…"

He found himself outside glowering at the house that _wasn't_. He turned and walked away, back to New Orleans as instructed, hoping that by doing what he was told she would forget her sudden curiosity.

Of course that was as much of a fairy tale as his unborn heir.

**Caroline**

The buildings before her had seemed somehow regal every other time she had stood before them, but now they just looked old, tired…dull…just like everything else. The world had dimmed, it was missing something essential, something as vital as oxygen to a human, but it seemed as though she was the only one that noticed. Everywhere she looked she saw the blissfully ignorant, the air vibrated with nervous excitement of freshman at their first day at college.

She was meant to be one of them, this was supposed to be a moment of wonder that first step into a bright new world, but it wasn't,  _she_  wasn't.

Not for the first time she wondered why she came back, she had escaped; taken her mother away as promised seen just a glimpse of that world Klaus had spoken of. She had been _happy_ , her mother had been _happy_ , so why on earth did they ever come back? Summer break had been blissful, everyone had been well, everyone had been happy, and the world it was full of genuine beauty.

It was as close to perfect as she had thought she could ever get, but then…

Sheriff Forbes needed to get back to her flock, the town needed her and wasn't Caroline supposed to go do the human thing with Elena and Bonnie? Get a degree, meet new people, have fun? Wasn't she supposed to want those things that people her age wanted? 

_Well, yes mum that was the plan._

And so…she came back and that's when it all just ended.

Of course, it was over before then she just hadn't realised it. She should have, she knew that, but somehow, she just didn't. She'd heard it in Bonnie's voice, she'd seen it in her eyes, she _knew_. On some level Caroline had known, but she wasn't ready to acknowledge it. Caroline had needed more time, more space between disasters she reasoned, because there was no other explanation as to why she could take her mother and go out into the world and enjoy herself so soon after one of the most important people in her life had died.

Bonnie had  _died_ , and on some level Caroline had known. She had to have because otherwise how would she have just smiled unquestioning when Jeremy told her that Bonnie was spending her summer with Abby? How did it not alarm her that all through summer break Bonnie was out of contact? Bonnie, who she had rarely gone a day without speaking to, was gone and if she didn't know, why didn't that terrify her?

So she knew, on some level or other she  _knew_ , but that didn't stop her world from crumbling when Elena and Jeremy turned up at her door step upon her return to that hellhole formally known as Mystic Falls. Her world had shifted on its axis the moment they told her; colour fled from the world, everything just went away, and her heart shattered. Yet somehow, it was her that was wrapping her arms around them, her that was comforting them. She had lost, as she always did, and she had comforted those that had gained.

Yes, Elena and Jeremy had lost Bonnie too, but it wasn't the same. Jeremy got his life back, Elena got her brother, what did Caroline get?

She had laughed later, when she was alone, she had laughed until she cried and then she just couldn't stop. She wailed, she riled and she raged. Oh how she raged. And then she stopped. She stopped and she didn't feel like she could ever start again.

When Tyler arrived hours later she had managed a smile, she had hugged him tightly, she had told him how she had missed him and writhed beneath him when he took her to bed. And if he didn't notice how that smile didn't reach her eyes, how her hug was more desperate than loving, how her voice sounded hollow and her moans forced, then what did it matter? He was  _there;_  he had come back for  _her_.

So she gave Tyler what he needed and then she did what she always did, she smiled and was strong so that others didn't have to be. And Elena, who had lost, but not nearly as much - not even _close_ \- she was allowed to fall apart again and all those people that orbited her like the sun stood back while Caroline, who could barely breathe when she was alone, comforted her, piecing her back together and delivering her back to them.

Only alone, and once with her mother, did Caroline let herself properly grieve. Her mother had cried with her and then watched her fall to pieces with a concerned expression that made Caroline feel somehow guilty. So barring that one moment of weakness with her mother she had played the bright bubbly girl of old. It was all an act though, she didn't feel it; she felt empty and alone.

Where was her other best friend?

She had gone to talk to Stefan once or twice, but he had problems of his own, what with the whole losing the love of his life to Damon thing and she couldn't bring herself to add to it. He looked kind of like she felt, he seemed to ooze darkness and she found herself wanting to be anywhere but in his company. She felt bad about that too, but nowhere near as bad as felt about Bonnie.

What had she been doing when Bonnie was busy sacrificing herself? She'd been busy planning one of those human rights of passage, like college was supposed to be.

Whitmore College, not too far out of the jurisdiction of the hellhole, was supposed to be a shared experience. Bonnie, Elena (post compulsion acceptance) and Caroline were meant to be here together, that was the whole point in going to a school so close. Caroline had eternity to go Stamford, Berkley or any other of the colleges that had accepted her she had reasoned, but she had only one chance to do it the _first_ time and she wanted to do it with Bonnie and to a lesser extent Elena too. She would stay close to her mother as an added bonus.

Right now, however, she wished she was miles away. Whitmore was too close and her wounds were too fresh. She never should have come back, not to a world without the best of her best friends. She sighed heavily.

"Get busy living, or get busy dying," she muttered, plastered on a sunshine disposition and went to find her new roomy Elena.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Borrowed a line from my favourite film the "Shawshank Redemption" at the end there.


	2. Chapter 2

Silas sat in the Salvatore mansion, glass of bourbon in hand ruminating on his tattered plans. The older doppelganger had taken his cure, the Bennett witch was six feet under, and the veil was back up. Aside from the small pleasure he derived in knowing that his own doppelganger was currently desiccating at the bottom of the falls and each and every one of his so called friends hadn't seemed to notice he was no longer among them, the joy seemed to have evaporated from the world. Things had been going to plan, right up until they weren't, and now he wasn't sure how to fix it.

Logic dictated that he use the limited resources remaining, mainly his unique position of a member of the ingrates responsible for his current predicament and get them to fix it for him, beginning with resurrecting the Bennett witch. Why not have those that demolished his future resuscitate it? They all seemed positively jubilant to participate in any idiotic plan one or another of their number thought up in the past, if Stefan's boring tirades in his journals were anything to go by, so why not have them leap into their graves for his benefit?

He was honestly surprised that he hadn't already been approached to help in a crusade to bring back Bennett. Surely they would fight for the witch as least half as hard as they did Elena. Wouldn't they? He tipped back his glass sculling back the remainder of his drink as the dark haired moron strutted across the living room with his over inflated ego displayed to best advantage.

"Aren't you supposed to be spreading your wings at college with Blondie and Elena?" he asked with all the self-importance such an ant could muster.

"We need to do something about Bonnie."

Damon's eyes widened, rolling briefly, "you heard Jeremy, just what do you think we can do?"

Silas paused, "she brought back Jeremy, perhaps if we had more witches…"

"Witchy died in that act, I don't think there'll be a lot of volunteers." He interrupted.

 _Volunteers_? Silas laughed to himself, no wonder they went from one disaster of their making to another.  _Volunteers. Ha!_ Damon was looking at him strangely and he figured he must have left an unacceptable delay for a response. "No harm in asking, is there?"

"Just who would we ask? Not like we have a bunch of witches on speed dial."

"Klaus?" he ventured.

Damon laughed, "no chance that Klaus would do anything we asked." He paused, "we could get Blondie to ask him."

"Well, then, let's go see my new college." He rose from his seat and headed to the door without further discussion. He heard the footfalls as Damon followed.  _Much too easy._

* * *

"All done!" Caroline smiled brightly surveying their newly organised dorm room. Elena smiled wide in return and Caroline's smile reached her eyes, for a moment forgetting. But that moment was over as soon as Damon and Stefan stepped into the room.

"Hey Blondie," Damon smirked before a more genuine smile claimed his features as he pulled Elena in for a quick kiss "Elena."

Stefan merely nodding to each in greeting.

"Damon, Stefan, welcome to our new home," she smiled spreading her arms wide in greeting as though their intrusion didn't damper her mood. In reality she felt anything but welcoming, a foreboding spreading over her skin like a rash. Stefan inclined his head, his Tuesday face on display as he closed the door and took a sit by her desk.

A little voice told her now was the time to run, it urged her to get the hell out of there.

"Sooo.." Damon droned, "we were wondering if you were still in touch with the Big Bad." His eyebrows raised, smirk spread wide across his face.

Caroline really didn't want to ask why, so she guessed she should have been grateful that Elena did, but somehow she just kind of felt like hitting her. Whether that was before or after she rammed a stake through Damon's heart, she couldn't decide.

"We need some witchy assistance and we thought of your guy," he moved around the room picking things up seemingly with the express purpose of putting her things out of place.

She sighed, "What is it this time?"

"Bonnie," Stefan responded his voice low and without inflection.

Caroline didn't know why, but she flinched as though his voice assaulted her. "No," she said before she even really thought about it. Elena's mouth fell open, her eyes wide with shock at the abruptness of it.

"What do you mean no?" Damon asked.

"I'm not asking Klaus," she paused while every eye in the room bore into her. "I just can't do it anymore." Her voice was so soft if they hadn't been vampires they would not have heard her.

"You can't do what anymore?" Damon's voice slapped her.

"We do these things Damon and we think it's for the best, but somehow more people end up dying. I love…loved Bonnie, she was my best friend and I miss her like crazy, but there's a reason she told Jeremy not to tell us she was dead. She didn't want us trying one of our hare-brained schemes to bring her back, because she knew that the chances were high that someone else would have to die for that to happen. We do these things, and it just makes things worse. We make things worse."

You could have heard a pin drop. Elena looked stunned, but there was a touch of guilt behind her eyes. Damon was looking at Elena as though she was about to break down, and Stefan, who she could see in her peripheral vision looked downright livid. She found herself unconsciously moving away from him, closer to the door and escape. Stefan stood and it was a though he'd slipped a mask on his face how quickly his expression calmed. "This is Bonnie we are talking about Caroline," he breathed softly.

She nodded her head slightly, "I know who we are talking about Stefan, she was my best friend, I killed twelve witches for her remember?" Her voice was snide and she felt the slow burn of anger building within her, it was a relief somehow – outside the routine of emptiness. She almost felt alive.

"Then what are a few more?" he said oh so casually.

And oh so  _wrong_. Caroline blinked, hard, and she looked at him, really looked at him and she didn't see Stefan. She saw something Ripper like, something closer to dead than alive, and she wondered why each time she was in his company she felt like running. "What happened to you?" she asked horrified.

He looked baffled, but it seemed constructed to her eyes. Damon looked at her strangely, "What happened to you Blondie?"

Elena looked accusingly at her and she felt like the outsider, the one who wasn't good enough, she felt like she was letting everyone down. Even so, she knew that she was right, Bonnie couldn't want to be saved and as much as it pained her to live without her she was going to do it because that is what Bonnie would want. That's why she didn't turn it off, that's why she lived in this half-life devoid of colour. Who was she to presume to know better than her friend?

And then it occurred to her, where were the others? Why weren't Tyler and Jeremy here? Hell Jeremy could talk to Bonnie; he could ask her if there was a way to bring her back. So why have this little tête-à-tête without him? Without  _her_?

"Where's Jeremy?" she gave voice to her thoughts.

"Well duh, he's at school," Damon rolled his eyes.

"Did you ask him?" she threw back at them.

"Ask him what Blondie?" Damon seemed almost bored as though she wasn't worth his time.

"Did you ask him if Bonnie knew of a way to come back? If she even wanted us to look for one? Did you ask him how many people would have to die for me to get my best friend back? DID YOU ASK HIM?" Her voice had slowly increased in volume until she was shouting, she didn't even realize until she was spitting the final question in Damon's face.

"You're losing it Blondie." Stefan and he exchanged a knowing glance.

"Did you?" she asked again.

Elena responded, "He said she told him we should let her go."

Caroline might have asked why she wasn't included for the conversation, but she knew why. Jeremy wasn't her favorite person at the moment, she just couldn't look at him without wanting to snap his neck. He had taken the space in the world that had been reserved for Bonnie and she kind of hated him for it. Knowing that it wasn't his fault, that it was Bonnie's decision really didn't make it any better. It also didn't help that he hadn't really lost Bonnie, she was still with him. So she'd just tried to avoid being at the same places as him, and she wasn't ashamed to admit that she flashed away whenever he entered her sphere. Killing Jeremy Gilbert wouldn't solve anything, she just sort of thought it might make her feel better. She found herself laughing, not because it was funny, more because it wasn't and she had cried enough this lifetime. The laughter choked her throat when her eyes settled upon Stefan once more; there was just something about her friend that she couldn't put her finger on. He was almost repellent.

He was one of her best friends, she was his sober sponsor, she was supposed to help him when he fell off the rails and something told her that he had...yet he wasn't bathing in the blood of her fellow students. Why did he seem so very  _wrong_? Why didn't anyone else seem to see it? Had he always been like this and it took Bonnie dying for her to really see him? She was uneasy in his presence when she never had been before, not even when he was the Ripper. Something had changed inside him and he seemed irrevocably broken. Was Elena's love the only thing that had sustained him she wondered, is this what happens when everything you hope for dies?

And there was the guilt again.

"Stefan," she looked him searchingly in the eyes, but all she saw was darkness. She realized then that she had lost him too. How had she not realized until now? What kind of friend misses something like that? "I'm sorry Stefan, I really am."

Damon and Elena looked baffled; Stefan shrugged his shoulders as though to tell them he had no idea what she was on about. "We should go," he said motioning Damon towards the door.

She moved out of the way and they left her and Elena alone.

"I'm going for a walk," she told Elena who gave her a small smile in response. Caroline felt like the world had constricted somehow, the sky falling, she needed to breathe.


	3. Chapter 3

**Klaus**

 

New Orleans had always been among his favorite places on the planet, but he found his enjoyment of it limited at present. He was exasperated, four long months he'd been playing Marcel's game pretending to be precisely what he could never be, content to follow and the insufferable  _King_  had managed to keep the secret safe. Klaus was no closer to discovery what it was that held the witches prisoner, he doubted he'd ever lived four less productive months in his existence and that included his time under the Hunter's curse. What was worse was that he was required to not only keep company with Marcel's lackeys but play nice when everything in his being demanded that he rip the insolent pricks' hearts from their chests.

Even bleeding human's dry had done little to elevate his frustration; still …there was no harm in trying. So while he quietly seethed in the darkest corner of a dive that the formerly pretentious, but now just very dead, owner had the audacity to call a bar he alternated between sipping from the finest bottle of amber fluid he could find in the cesspool and sucking out the last few drops of life from the only woman still unfortunate to be breathing in the place. He figured if nothing else he had done the health department a favour in closing down the place, he'd seen sewers with less grime. He couldn't prevent the desolate sigh escaping his lips as he heard the familiar footfalls coming closer, followed by the unmistakable scent and semblance that somehow managed to darken his already abysmal mood.

"Big brother, what a pleasant surprise, I'd offer you a drink but it appears the bar has run dry," he smirked sculling back the last of the bottle before tossing it behind him, the dull thud it made upon landing indicating it found a body rather than the floor. He glanced at the woman propped up beside him, at some point she had left the land of the living without him noticing, one light shove and she joined the other corpses littering the floor – for some reason that lightened his mood and he chuckled softly.

Elijah didn't appear to be amusing his eyes narrowed and mouth down-turned a disdainful manner which Klaus was all too familiar with. "I take it you haven't made any progress."

It was more of a statement than a question so Klaus didn't waste any calories in responding. He waited out the judgmental silence with a raised eyebrow and self-satisfied smirk that he knew would irritate big brother no end.

Elijah pursed his lips together before sighing heavily, "the witches grow impatient brother; I'm worried that they may do something drastic."

It took all Klaus' self-control not to burst out laughing, as it was he didn't manage to prevent the mirth from dancing in his eyes. Elijah visibly blanched, Klaus wasn't sure if it was for worry that his indifference would ruin his brother's dream of rebuilding their family around the newest bastard or if he was despairing that he was beyond redemption at this point. Klaus felt inclined to put an end to his brother's fantasies but the flash of a pair of black eyes made him think better of it. "I am  _trying_  Elijah, Marcel is not cooperating and despite all his lofty speeches about how they are family it appears that he hasn't trusted his minions with that particular secret."

"It's been six months, and we have little over three months left," he paused, "The longer this continues the greater chance of discovery. What do you think the witches will do if pressed?"

 _Maybe they will do me a favor, kill the bitch along with her unborn bastard._ How he wanted to just tell Elijah that, tell him anything, but he'd have to just add that to the growing list of annoyances this pretense required him to swallow. If at the end of all this, he wasn't the King of New Orleans and blissfully happy he swore he would bathe the city in blood.

Elijah seemed briefly mollified, too briefly really, "what happened to every King needing an heir?"

His fingers flexed involuntarily, the urge to reach across and tear out his brother's heart agonizing. He'd never wanted children,  _never_ , but for the transient instant it had been alluring. One being in this miserable world whose love for him might be completely and utterly unreserved - a shining light always and forever on his side.

Of course, knowing his luck the little bastard would have deposed the King first chance it got. So it really was for the best that children were not to be a part of his future, still…there was that moment. "I know what I said Elijah and I am doing all that I can."

Elijah's hand swept the room grandly, "I can see that."

Klaus wondered what it would be like to be an only child. "The witches won't do anything brother, I am their only chance and they know it," he offered his best attempt at consolation, hoping Elijah would just bugger off.

Elijah stood and nodded, "we need this Niklaus." He turned to leave, but then paused and turned back. "Haley is getting bigger, have you considered going to see them?" Elijah looked almost happy, eyes light in remembrance.

Klaus felt his latest meal churning in his stomach; he surveyed the room to avoid his brother's eyes when he answered. "It's best I keep my distance, wouldn't want to alert Marcel, now would we?" He felt more than saw Elijah's nod of acceptance. Klaus got up abruptly, "speaking of, I best get back. Clean this up will you?" he didn't wait for a response, of course Elijah would clean it up. Didn't he always?

* * *

**Caroline**

 

Somewhere in the last month she'd started again, she wasn't sure when, it was probably a gradual process but there was a pivotal moment she could point to when she knew that she was going to be okay. She'd just been to a lecture, on what she couldn't really recall, and then a butterfly settled upon her hand. A feather light touch alerted her to its presence and just prior to following through on her natural instinct to shake off its contact and send it on its way she noticed just how blue it looked. It wasn't the washed out color that the sky seemed to her eyes, it was real blue - the color that existed when Bonnie had - and not just that the creature was dotted with red and orange and…was that a little bit of brown when it pulled its wings up? It was beautiful, really truly beautiful and suddenly, after operating on autopilot for much too long, Caroline was in control, breathing…dare she call it alive?

The creature that had brought color back to her world left her much too soon, but as he eyes followed it she had taken in her surroundings and found that the world around her was as bright as the butterfly. Without realizing it she had smiled, not one of the fake ones that had placated her friends, but a real one and it made her as vibrant as the world she again resided in. Following that moment she went from going through the motions to actually enjoying college life. She had gotten involved, she had made friends, she had grabbed life by the balls and she regained something of herself in the process. There were still times when she felt like crawling into the fetal position and mourning her losses, but became fewer and further between.

Whether she was a better actress than she had thought or Tyler and her friends were more self-absorbed than she would have imagined, no one seemed to have noticed her return to the living. She didn't mind, well okay, she did kind of mind that the people who were supposed to care about her couldn't tell the difference between her empty smiles and her real ones, but it wasn't like complaining about it would change anything. So she decided it wouldn't matter that they didn't notice, it didn't mean they didn't care, they were probably consumed by their own grief. So she would take the high road, forgive and forget, her friends loved her and she was a glass half full type of person anyway.

Of course just because they didn't notice things, didn't mean she was oblivious. She knew that her friends were hiding something from her, and it didn't take a whole lot of brain power to figure out what that something was. They were clearly still looking into the whole bringing Bonnie back regardless of the cost angle, she didn't blame them, she just didn't agree with them. So while they held their clandestine meetings on how to screw up the world further she pretended to be blissfully unaware and entirely too caught up in her new life.

It was easy enough to avoid that reality, firstly when she said friends it was really only Elena, Stefan and Damon who were a part of the how best to destroy the world as we know it plan, the others had their own – equally valid reasons, in her opinion – to stay clear. Secondly, it seemed that all discussions on how to end the world this time were held off campus in the little town with the highest number of animal attacks in known history, a place she was happily determined to avoid till the world really did end.

All in all, easy to pretend and avoid getting involved in the newest plan to get them all killed.

Less easy to avoid was that niggling guilt that she had let Stefan down on a colossal scale. Okay so he missed her massive meltdown, but he had reason to be less than observant, and she'd already determined it was best to forgive and forget. Stefan was clearly suffering, she wasn't exactly convinced that it was wholly the result of losing out to Damon, but he had clearly needed her and she wasn't there for him.

She had the perfect excuse, complete and utter mess, but now that she'd patched herself up she felt that she should be doing something, anything to help him. Problem was that aside from her new found enthusiasm for all things college and his continued mission to end the world which left little free time for a heart to heart with your bestie, there was a part of her that kind of, sort of wanted him to fix himself. She didn't really know why that was, well she did, but she didn't really want to admit it.

Still, she had made every effort to seek him out, but they never seemed to cross paths. She suspected that he was avoiding her and though Elena assured her that wasn't the case, it needled her. He had always…almost always been there for her so she could understand that he might be feeling just a wee bit offended that she wasn't there for him of late. She conceded that he might possibly be feeling she let him down, perhaps even that she betrayed him, but it wasn't intentional.

Yes, she hadn't stuck around to console him after Elena's big decision instead roaming the world with her mum, and then she hadn't sought him out on her return, and then she flat out refused to help them with the end of the world plan, but did that really mean he had to avoid her like the plague?

Of course, she hadn't forced the issue had she now? And why was that Caroline? The answer was getting awfully close to those things that she didn't really want to contemplate; deep down she was just a little too happy that he was avoiding her because his latest persona kind of made her skin crawl. The fact was the longer he avoided her, the longer she could escape confronting those ominous feelings that threatened her reclaimed balance. Just how bad a person did that make her?


	4. Chapter 4

Her dress, yes she did wear them on occasion, was sticking to her body like gum on a shoe. She was stinking hot and so far from comfortable it was absurd. She'd have gone outside in search of a breeze to alleviate her discomfort, but her jailers wouldn't allow it. No popping out to the shops, no drinking, no partying, no freaking way, and no freaking life. Not now that everyone was oh so concerned for her health and well-being, well, not so much her.

Nothing was about her anymore.

And if she ever needed a reminder of why her life was no longer hers to do with what she willed she need only spare a second and look down to where her stomach once resided. The  _magical miracle baby_ was well and truly thriving, but she wasn't doing as well. Captivity didn't agree with her, having spent the majority of her life drifting from one place to the next she'd determined she simply didn't do well in one place for too long, and she'd been stuck in the shack in the bayou for much too long. If she needed proof of that she only had to reflect upon how thrilled she was every time someone deigned to visit her seeming she never received a visit from anyone she actually liked.

"So you're the were-slut," the stuck up British accent had a familiar ring to it.

Hayley turned to greet her latest guest, schooling her features in a bored veneer before scoffing softly. "And you must be the original bitch."

Rebekah's smile melted, "I'd be careful if I were you, right now you have a purpose, but not too much longer and…" She worked her way slowly around the room before turning back to Hayley smile back in place. "I don't imagine you'll be welcome at family dinners, the servants have more class."

Hayley shrugged her shoulders, "no great loss there."

The blonde flipped her hair back. "I thought you'd be prettier," she looked down her nose. "And cleaner," she smirked. "Now to more important matters, how is my niece?"

Hayley couldn't hide her shock, "niece?"

"Oh, didn't they tell you?" Rebekah laughed lightly. "It's a girl," her eyes fell to the burgeoning bump and for a split second Hayley thought she looked almost wistful.

Of their own accord Hayley's arms wrapped around her belly protectively. She looked down at her hands as though they were someone else's, since when was she motherly? Hayley put it down to the hormones, that and her life-long family ambitions – funny how things work out. She looked up to find the blonde original staring at her suspiciously. "What?"

"Best not get too attached," the blonde advised, her voice not sounding half as condescending as before, her expression almost sympathetic. "Don't forget whose child you are carrying Hayley. My brother is a self-absorbed traitorous bastard who isn't in to sharing; don't imagine that just because he's not visiting he won't be taking that kid the moment you pop it out." She paused, looking slightly awkward. "Is there anything you needed?"

Hayley wondered if the blonde was bi-polar. "They get me everything I need, can't have their leverage wasting away."

Rebekah nodded and smiled brightly, "well, I'll be off then. I'd like to say it was nice meeting you, well actually I wouldn't, so later."

"Yeah, later," Hayley addressed the empty space the blonde had occupied seconds before. "And back to the boredom that is my life," she sighed to herself. "Stupid freaking witches," she said louder hoping they would hear her. But alas, it was hours before anyone else bothered to enter her prison.

"So nice of you to come visiting Sophie," she rolled her eyes, wondering what the witch wanted from her now. "To what do I owe the honor?" she ground out.

Sophie looked grim. 'Klaus isn't making any progress."

Hayley didn't know what Sophie expected her to say, what could she say? Was she expected to do something? She'd been held prisoner in the bayou so long she figured she was eligible for a local's discount.

Sophie looked her up and down considering, "we might need to motivate him."

What the hell did that mean? She was seven months gone, what exactly would motivate the psycho freak more.

"There's a full moon in five days," Sophie said it like a death sentence.

"Are you freaking kidding me?" They couldn't seriously be considering making her turn, they had no idea what that would do the baby, hell they couldn't even figure out exactly what magic baby was. They'd told her that it should be avoided, told her they'd make sure it didn't happen.

"I'm sorry, but our options are limited."

And she really did sound sorry, Hayley mused. Just when she couldn't be more uncomfortable, she was going to be forced to excruciatingly break every bone in her body.  _Hell no bitch!_  And just what did they think Klaus would do if the baby died? What would he do when Hayley was no longer useful? She wasn't ready to find out, thank you very much, so it was  _not_  going to happen. "There's another option."

Hayley had Sophie's undivided attention. "In Mystic Falls…"

Sophie interrupted, "we know about the doppelganger, she's a vampire now, useless."

Hayley smiled coyly, happy in the knowledge that for the first time in months she was in control. "Your right he doesn't care about her, but her little blonde friend..."

Sophie scoffed, "he seems to have difficulty finding it within him to care about his daughter; do you really think he'd do anything for this girl?"

Witches were horrendously superior Hayley decided. "Cause you're such an expert on all things Klaus," those treacherous hands were back on her belly. "You stopped me from turning because you were worried that it might hurt whatever it is that I'm carrying, if you make me turn now you might kill it and then if Klaus doesn't tear you limp from limp, you'll be Marcel's little bitches till hell freezes over."

Sophie's stare was hard. "Tell me about this girl."

Hayley smiled, there was a brief moment when she wondered if she should feel bad, but it was fleeting. It was difficult to see a down side for her in pushing holier than thou Miss Mystics Falls under the bus. Klaus would be more motivated which in turn would increase at least her short term chances of survival, Caroline would once again be miles from Tyler which just might put an end to their love story, and definitely would if the witches should feel the need to demonstrate their resolve by delivering Caroline to the Other Side.

So really no down side, unless the psycho freak Klaus should discover she'd shared his dirty secret in which case she'd be very dead.

"Her name is Caroline Forbes, she's a vampire and Klaus is in love with her."

Hayley really hoped this wasn't one of those times she'd regret opening her mouth.

* * *

Silas hadn't made much in the way of progress. Bonnie was still dead, and he hadn't managed to find either a way to bring her back or another witch powerful enough to do what was required. He'd been well on his way to homicidal frustration, seriously considering ending Elena and Damon's existence each time they had one of their meetings to discuss the various things they hadn't accomplished this week, when it had occurred to him that he'd having waited two thousand years he could probably afford a little more patience. Wait a little bit longer to feel the satisfaction of forcing the Bennett witch to do his bidding prior to reuniting her with her loved ones in the afterlife, in a manner yet to be determined but certainly of a decidedly painful on account of the trouble she'd beleaguered him with.

Of course, if things were going to continue to move slower than it took him to reach his desiccated state he decided he needed a side project, a distraction if you will. From what he had learnt through his observations of Mystic Falls' residences, and the tedious ramblings of his doppelganger, if distraction was required it should generally be of the blonde variety.

Ms Caroline Forbes was a strange little creature, bubbly, bright, blood-sucking monster of the inner circle of hell that held the dubious distinctions of being loved by the only two Hybrids on the planet, and being Stefan Salvatore's best friend. Which meant, of course, that she was now  _his_  best friend and as such didn't she have an obligation to keep him entertained?

Silas had had little to do with her since she had proved less than helpful in his endeavor to get his plan back on track, she had come to see him often and rung more frequently but he'd avoided contact. If she wasn't promoting his agenda he hadn't seen much point in indulging her incessant petitions for his time. In addition, the few times they had crossed paths before he had to rush off to a former engagement he noticed that she was looking at him strangely as though she might suspect that something unfortunate had happened to friend Stefan. With that in mind, the wiser option was surely to continue to avoid her and find another form of entertainment, but he was by nature a risk taker.

And so he found himself outside Ms Forbes dorm room fist paused to knock when the lady herself drew back the door greeting him with a large smile which he couldn't help but note didn't actually reach her eyes. "Stefan," she breathed, and somehow it sounded more like a question than a greeting, he wondered if it was subconscious on her part.

"Caroline," he smiled making every effort to put some warmth into it. "Are you busy?"

"No, not at all," she replied seemingly without a moment of hesitation smile still as bright as the sun.

He wasn't sure why, but he found her amusing. "I am sorry," he said solemnly, trying for the "it's Tuesday" look, not sure exactly what that entailed but hopeful he got it right.

Caroline's eyes widened and her smile slipped. "You…uh… what?"

"I am sorry Caroline," he reiterated. "I have been in a dark place of late, I pushed you away and I am sorry. You are my best friend." He smiled his first real smile since returning from his desiccated hell, angling for one of those delightful smiles she'd given him when he was in another's guise.

She smiled uncertainly, but pulled him towards her hugging him tightly. He felt her shiver slightly before she pulled away; she took his face between her hands staring deeply into his eyes as though she was searching for the meaning of life. Silas wasn't sure what it was that she was looking for, but he figured she must have found it as a smile tugged up the corners of her mouth travelling up to her eyes.

"Apology accepted." She clapped her hands, "so what did you want to do?"

"I am at your disposal for the evening," he bowed lowly.

She laughed, sounding like tinkling bells to his ears, "I'm alone tonight so I was just about to watch a movie."

"I will watch with you then," her smile turned slightly wicked and he sighed before continuing, "though I suspect I might regret it." He waited for her to move out of the doorway, but she didn't move. "Can I come in?" he asked with a laugh that sounded nervous even to his ears.

She looked somewhat embarrassed ducking her head and retreating into the room; she pointed to her bed "I'm on the right."

He moved the collection of junk food to the center of the bed and made himself comfortable whilst she grabbed the remote and settled on the other side. "Ready?"

He nodded and he found himself watching something called "The Notebook", which he had a sinking suspicion he wouldn't enjoy, but if it assuaged her doubts about him, he decided he would endure.

Half an hour in he felt himself relaxing in her company, tension leaving his body slowly sliding out of him and into the ether. It was surprising to him that anyone could have such an affect upon him, let alone the little blonde distraction. He had thought that this world, his purgatory, had no promise of joy left from that soul destroying moment when she was ripped from it. Yet, something told him that being Ms Forbes best friend might make his remaining time in purgatory more tolerable, she might perhaps offer more than light entertainment.

He watched as she became engrossed in the movie, completely oblivious to his presence. She was so easy to read, her emotions playing across her face more interesting to him than the movie, Caroline reminded him of  _Her_. He wasn't sure what it was, something undefinable that brought to mind the love that he had lost. He took her hand, suddenly yearning for contact; she turned to him and met his eyes with a small smile.

"I missed you," barely above a whisper she voiced then returned her gaze to the screen leaving her hand in his.

Ms Caroline Forbes was surprising Silas decided. She was sunny, and he'd been in the dark for much too long.


	5. Chapter 5

She had that uneasy feeling that there was something important that she was forgetting, something buried in a corner of her brain that she couldn't retrieve, in that tantalizingly … frustrating … space just beyond ones grasp. It tied her up in a state of perpetual queasiness, not debilitating, not actually limiting in any way, but always there. Caroline knew that whatever she was forgetting … more like missing … wasn't going to be good, you didn't feel like your stomach was anxious to ascent your oesophagus for fluffy bunnies and rainbows, no it was a bad feeling, the worst.

Importantly, it was the kind of feeling she knew she really needed to share, silence would be rewarded with fire and brimstone she knew it in her bones. The problem was it was also the kind of thing she would have shared with Bonnie – the Witches area of expertise if you will. Weird feelings of impending doom …  _doom?_ Well, impending  _something_ unpleasant.

In the absence of Bonnie, and in light of the fact that her Jeremy no contact policy was still very much in effect, she didn't know who to tell. Something told her that Stefan wasn't a good option, she didn't know why exactly, but he was most assuredly out. That left Tyler, Matt, Elena, Damon, her mum, and … dare she go there? Uh.

Tyler, she was certain would listen to her babble; give her an indulgent but ultimately dismissive smile before piloting them towards the nearest bed-like surface. Matt would listen patiently and do everything he could to help her, but could she really drag him into what might turn out to be yet another supernatural disaster after he had made it very clear that he wanted to be so far away from that kind of drama he thought he might be taking up residence in Switzerland. Elena, well, she was always willing to listen, always sympathetic, always concerned, but … just … Elena. Besides, she was happy and she hadn't been for the longest time, so just … no. Damon, sigh. Now, how the hell did he ever get on the list of people to consider anyway? She'd rather swallow razors than converse with the biggest dick she'd ever known about her feelings, he'd never let her forget it and it wasn't as though he was ever inclined to take something she said seriously. Her mother was semi available, but if this turned out to actually be something other than exiting the house without turning off the iron, Liz Forbes was the last person in the world that she wanted involved. And then there was her … uh …  _friend_. Weren't friends supposed to be able to talk about things like this? And didn't foreboding feelings of doom kind of go hand in hand with Originals? He'd do everything he could to help her; last love and all that. Uh … on second thought … best not to go  _there._

So back to the non-option option, if she could just push down that unbecoming petty grievance against Jeremy she'd been nursing like a cherished new born, surely she could make it through one awkward three-way. Swallow down the bitterness, take tight rein on the heart tearie outie urges and ask for the breath stealing tosser's help. Everyone was always saying she possessed some kind of supernatural control, so perhaps she should test it.

So she'd bite the bullet.  _Can't be grudgy forever._

Of course, that meant a trip back to the town she was  _never_ going back to. Uh, it was unrealistic of her to think that she'd never go back; her mother still lived there after all. She'd just wished never could have lasted just a wee bit longer, hell, a lot longer. If she was going to talk to Little Gilbert she really had no choice, it wasn't like he would come to her, her name wasn't Elena - people wouldn't just drop everything and come a running every time she sneezed. Not that Elena sneezed anymore but, well … you get the point.

So … road trip! She was going, positively decided.  _So there!_

Decision made, Caroline pulled on her jacket, picking up her purse on the way to the door suddenly eager to get it over with. She hauled the door open, rushed into the corridor pulling it shut behind her, and promptly ran straight into a muscular chest. Her breath expelled from her lungs in one harsh breath, "what the hell." Two strong arms steadied her.

"Going somewhere?" he grinned broadly, in that endearing blend of boyish and inappropriately suggestive.

"Tyler," she breathed as an answering smile spread across her face. "I thought you had class."

"Heard my girl had the afternoon off," his smile turned sweat smile before his lips searched hers out, touching softly.

"Can I meet you later?" she held onto her smile, but her nerves were raw, her skin almost tingling with the urge to be gone.

His eyes narrowed slightly, the smile dimming measurably, "where are you going?"

She wanted to say home, but it really didn't feel right to call it that anymore, she wasn't that person – it wasn't her life. "I'm going to Mystic Falls."

He looked surprised, but then the smile was back in place. "I'll come with you." He moved towards the stairs as though her consent was a forgone conclusion.

There was helpful and then there was just plain old annoying, and if she had wanted company she'd have invited him. "Can I meet you later," she looked up at him through her lashes twisting her hands together.

He sighed, running his hands through his hair suddenly looking irritated. "We've barely spent any time together the last two months Care, I miss you."

She bit her lower lip, running her teeth over it. "I miss you too, but I have classes and assignments and…"

He cut her off, "Stefan." His eyebrow raised, and somehow looking accusing.

She pursed her lips unimpressed, "I told you he needs my help, he's not been the same since graduation, I'm not sure he ever will be." She sighed. "Besides, you know most of the time I see him it's in classes."

He huffed, "yeah, cause he compelled them to change his schedule."

"So you're jealous of Stefan now?" her voice had gone up an octave. What the hell? Wasn't she allowed any male friends? Plain ol' werewolf Tyler wasn't this much of a dick, hell  _pre-_ werewolf Tyler wasn't this bad. Okay, so maybe he was, but … just …  _argh!_

His jaw was locked, fists clenched, eyes like slits. "Is he going with you?"

She rolled her eyes, "no Tyler, he isn't going with me. I am going  _alone_. Now, I love you and I will see you later." She brushed her lips against his ignoring the fact he didn't respond, then turned on her heel and left him standing in the hall. She really did love Tyler, well, when he wasn't being a prized dickhead. He was the love of her life, or if you believed her  _friend_  the love of the moment and when he was in prize winning mode she was inclined to.

Down the stairs, a couple of quick hellos to her growing number of friends, one long conversation with one of more annoying of their number, and then out to the parking lot and humming in anticipation at the closeness of her goal. "Caroline," she heard him call out to her, but having finally reached her car she decided to pretend she didn't. And then, as though the universe had decided to test her patience she felt yet another set of hands upon her.

"Uh … seriously?" she muttered exasperated, turning to meet the latest hold up.

"I've been told frowning causes wrinkles," Stefan advised his green eyes alight with amusement.

Caroline sighed, "I'm in a hurry." She watched as his smile dimmed and was reminded, yet again, that this was not the old Stefan. Old Stefan was so composed he could have had it trademarked; no way would Old Stefan have gotten offended if she was short with him let alone let it show. Old Stefan would have shrugged it off, but Not the Old Stefan …

Well, he always seemed one step away from out of control Ripper Stefan. It seemed to her that Old Stefan was like a fine china tea cup dropped from a great height and shattered beyond recognition and Not the Old Stefan was that cup remade. It wasn't the same – some pieces were even missing – yet the bones were there and if you squinted just right you might mistake it for the original, but it  _wasn't_. It could  _never_  be again. Not the Old Stefan was both stronger and more fragile than the Old Stefan.

Caroline's none too subtle attempt to get rid of Not the Old Stefan had clearly hurt his feelings, she sighed. "Sorry, people just keep holding me up and if I don't get this done now I might chicken out." She didn't actually want to go back to Mystic Falls after all.

"You're going home," he said with a nod of understanding before a grin broke out on his face. "Try not to open the Hellmouth whilst you're there Buffy."

Say what you will about Not the Old Stefan, but he made her laugh. No way was Old Stefan going to crack a Buffy joke, come to think of it, Old Stefan refused to watch a single episode let alone the entire series from start to end. "I'll do my best," she smiled widely.

"I'll see you later, drive safe Caroline," his hand grazed her cheek before he turned and left her.

Caroline jumped in her car before anyone else decided it was time for a heart to heart. She buckled her seat-belt, took a deep breath and then turned the ignition. While checking her mirrors she felt a tingling running up her spine as though she was being watched, as she backed her car out she saw Stefan in her peripheral vision his gaze intense and very much focused on her person. There was something familiar about the way that he was looking at her, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She turned in her seat to look at him directly, only to discover that he had gone. Ah well.

* * *

It had taken less time than she would have liked to reach her destination. Back in Mystic Falls, standing outside the Salvatore mansion she felt unbearably tense – there were few places she thought she'd least like to be, her sense of foreboding was in overdrive. "Suck it up, Caroline," she attempted to motivate herself to move forward. It took another ten minutes for her to get her feet moving forward and another five for her knuckles to rap on the large wooden door. Caroline had been waiting yet another five minutes before it occurred to her that she probably use her vampire senses and check if anyone was actually home, turned out neither Damon nor Jeremy were. Having come so far she wasn't about to turn around and she suspected that if she went back to the car she might be tempted to just keep going so she pushed the door open and entered the house. It was always somewhat surprising to her that they never bothered to lock their door, then again the people they didn't want inside tended to be of a kind that required an invitation. As she passed the threshold she was happy that Jeremy had given her one prior to her trip around the world, she couldn't have obtained one since her return as she had managed to avoid the place.

Caroline headed straight for Damon's alcohol supply and poured herself a tumbler full of his best Bourbon, "thanks Damon." She fired off a quick text to Jeremy advising him she was waiting for him, made herself comfortable on their couch, sipped her drink, and tried to ignore the growing turmoil of her stomach while she waited for him to get home.

After half an hour, and half the bottle, her impatience was boiling over. "Seriously, it's not like there's anywhere to go in this town! Where the hell are you?" she put down her now empty glass, jumped up from her seat and made her way back to the door. She swung open the door and found herself staring into a pair of surprised brown eyes in the face of a very attractive man. "Uh … Hi," she greeted lamely.

"Caroline," he drew her name out, practically enunciating each letter, a wide self satisfied grin spreading across his handsome face.

Caroline knew that kind of look, it was trouble; she drew back from the door, trying hard not to look like she was on the verge of making a run for it. Whether he was fooled or not was immaterial because as her senses went into overdrive she realized that he wasn't alone, and she very much was. The attack came, as they so often did, from behind her. And, as was the annoying norm, she was defenseless against it. Caroline's head exploded in pain and before she knew it she was on the ground holding her head in agony with no hope of preventing Mr. Handsome from sticking the syringe full of vervain into her neck. She wondered, not for the first time, why it always had to be her.

As darkness claimed her she remembered why that look of Stefan's was so familiar, it was how Klaus looked at her.

She didn't feel them lift her body, she didn't hear them congratulate themselves on a job well done, and she certainly didn't hear the woman on the other end of the phone telling them to hurry back to New Orleans.


	6. Chapter 6

Rebekah strode down Bourbon Street as though she owned it; to be fair there was a time she had. It had been many years since she had been in New Orleans, many more since she'd called it home, but there was just something about it that made her feel welcome. Even the smell – the mix of alcohol, urine and vomit – was comforting to her, which was just as well because she was less than amused. She found the bar with little bother, pushed her way past a group of drunken louts who she mused really should have made an effort to be a little less irritating considering they were all of them human. As though to prove her point one of their number disappeared, no doubt whizzed away to meet someone's dinner order. No matter.

She flicked her long blonde hair back and marched up to the bar, where a pretty little blonde was pouring shots, one of which Rebekah grabbed knocking back in one quick motion. "Hey, that wasn't for you!" a brunette slip of a thing complained.

There needed to be higher standards for turning humans, the girl was scarcely more than skin and bones. If she'd been in the mood to be dramatic she'd have ripped out Bone's heart, just for being undeserving. Lucky for Bones she decided on a more subtle approach, gave her a condescending smile and caught her gaze, eyes dilating. "Pay for the shots and find somewhere else to be," she compelled the annoyance away, then proceeded to knock back the remaining shots. Once she had obtained a healthy buzz she let her eyes roam the bar, noting that she had drawn a certain amount of attention from the supernatural element. "I'm looking for Elijah," she announced quietly, aware that each and every one of them were listening intently.

In her peripheral vision she saw the tell-tale squirming of someone who knew something, so she made her way over with a large smile. The vampire in question, Mr tall dark and  _not_ handsome or Not for short, was sitting with two females – one vampire, the other human. "Go get me a drink Cindy," she flicked her hand towards the female vampire so she knew the order was for her.

Cindy ground her teeth, "my name is Kate."

Rebekah spared her a withering glare, "why would I care? Hop to it Cindy, I'm parched."

Cindy looked towards Not who nodded once and then pushed her chair back with just a wee bit too much force so that it clattered against the wall, then went to do as she was told, returning a minute later and placing a glass of amber fluid before Rebekah. "Cheers," Rebekah held her glass up until Not clinked it with his and then took a sip. "So then, Elijah is … fill in the gap."

Not continued his staring match and the silence grew longer, fast approaching uncomfortable which she decided she should never be in New Orleans. "You are being incredibly annoying." She sighed as he continued being difficult, then leaned in eyes again dilating, "Where is Elijah?"

Not had the audacity to look smug, of course he was on vervain. Clearly things were not to end on friendly terms. In a flash she had him suspended from his throat against the wall, she squeezed smiling brightly, "I asked you a question."

"Rebekah Mikaelson," a deep sexy voice called out to her.

She turned without releasing Not. "Marcel, it's been a long time." She allowed her eyes to rake his form. "Looking good," she smirked.

A big warm viper of a smile answered. "What brings you to  _my_  town Bekah?"

She didn't miss the whole possessive pronoun, "I'm asking the questions."

Not finally found his voice, "she's looking for Elijah."

"He'll be in shortly, usually around eleven, isn't that right Cami?" Marcel turned towards the bar, his smile turning softer, Rebekah noticed with interest.

The blonde bartender smiled back, "just a little past the hour." Cami then turned to pour another drink.

Marcel motioned towards the still hanging Not, "so you see, no need to continue with my friend Jacob here." The tone implied she had better let  _Jacob_  go in the very immediate future, so she naturally held him up there just long enough to show she didn't feel inclined to follow his orders.

When she felt she'd made her point she took up Jacob's – and for the record Not suited him better – chair as though it was a throne and motioned Marcel to take another. "Care to keep me company until my brother arrives then?" she asked sweetly enough to indicate that she didn't think so much of his company. He took the seat none the less and propped his feet upon the table. Was everyone intent upon ruining her appreciation of her old stomping grounds?

"So … what's the story with  _Cami_?" she was genuinely curious, Marcel had always been more in line with Klaus' views on the blood bag population. Why had Marcel been brought the blonde to her attention?

"She's under my protection," he advised seriously, not an iota of his usual smarminess in evidence.

Intriguing in the extreme, did Marcel consort with humans now? Oh brave new world. She couldn't stop smiling; her eyes tracked Cami at the bar. "I don't see it."

He tensed, and that told her all she need to know, suddenly Cami was a thousand times more interesting. What had drawn his attention? Why was she plucked out of the blood bag supply? Rising to the high height of protected by the self-proclaimed King? Rebekah had no answers, the little blonde bar tender looked none too special, but that was hardly too surprising - Marcel for all his devilish good looks had never been overly special himself, though there was a time when she thought otherwise.

She pondered how the gutter rat had risen to  _King_  of her family's town. He'd have needed a lot of help.

"This is my town Bekah, my rules." His voice was lower than ever, velvet sooth.

"Last I checked  _Marc_  I was the  _Original_ , you'd do well to remember that." She looked past him and she could feel him seething in anger. "Run along, my brother has arrived and he'll be in need of that chair," she made a shooing motion with her hand.

She could tell he was just dying to say something more, but he got up and strode off haemorrhaging self-importance. Pathetic. Her smile warmed significantly as her gaze fell upon her older brother; still decked out in a full suit looking like he was running for office. "Elijah," she breathed in greeting.

"Rebekah," he replied smiling warmly. "I am pleased you decided to join us."

"I haven't decided anything yet, I did as you asked, that doesn't mean I'm here for an extended period," she was as aware of their audience as Elijah was. There would be no talk of nieces, witches or even Klaus whilst others could overhear.

"I would like you to stay, we have been separated too long, it is time to rebuild our family," it was as close as he would ever be to begging.

She looked away, back towards Marcel's little ingénue. "I didn't break it."

He sighed, "We cannot change the past, but this is our chance for a better tomorrow, perhaps our last chance."

Rebekah met his eyes, "always and forever."

He smiled, "always and forever."

* * *

When Jeremy had rung and told him that something had happened to Caroline he hadn't taken him seriously. Things had been fine and dandy, no big bad on a mission to end them, they'd defeated the most powerful being on the planet and number two was Caroline's biggest fan, so just who would be stupid enough to attack Blondie? It didn't make sense, and so Jeremy was clearly delusional, Blondie had obviously gotten bored of waiting and headed back to her dorm.

Once he arrived home, smelt the unmistakable stench of dog, and read the text message from Caroline advising she needed to talk to him urgently and was waiting at the house, he was willing to accede that there was something to the Vampire Barbie kidnap theory. Jeremy, and Bonnie apparently - by proxy - seemed overly concerned, to the point where they argued immediate, and drastic, action should be taken. Damon agreed, to a point … ringing up the big bad wolf was on the other side of that point, it was not going to happen.

No way in hell was he going to tell the big bad that his blonde obsession had been taken from under their noses; he liked his heart where it was. Plus he really didn't want a rabidly mad hybrid anywhere near Elena. Damon knew all about poor impulse control, he wasn't going to let Elena anywhere near Klausageddon, so best to wait on informing the big bad until they had some positive news to prevent becoming the vent for his anger.

Bonnie by proxy seemed quite determined however, spouting some crap about Caroline having been deeply troubled by something, so troubled that she'd come back to Mystic Falls to tell Judgy all about it and apparently this was end of days stuff because Vampire Barbie had made a solemn vow never to return. All news to Damon, Blondie had been her usual perky self each and every time he'd been in her company; sure she'd dialed back on the snarky sidebar but that hardly translated to gloomy visions of mass extinction. She'd probably come back to have a heart to heart about her douche of a boyfriend and then … wrong place, wrong time. Nothing they couldn't handle without the hybrid freak.

"I'll call Stefan, he'll circle the wagons and we'll find her. No need to involve Originals … or Elena at this point," he thought that was reasonable enough, but judging by the fact that his skin starting to sizzle – a clear indication that his daylight ring was out of order – Bonnie didn't think so. How could she be more of a pain in the arse dead than alive? He quickly retreated to a dark corner, "not cool, Witchy."

Jeremy didn't react other than to shrug his shoulders. "I texted Stefan just after I called you."

"What the hell is going on?" Liz Forbes strode into the room, looking frantic. "Where is she?"

"We don't know," Jeremy answered. "She came to see me, sent me a text saying she was waiting, but when I got home I found her car, open front door and sign of her. Bonnie sensed witchcraft."

Still trapped in the corner, witches were just the worst, "at least one of them was a werewolf." He sighed. "We will find her Liz."

Her eyes were laced with tears; he imagined it was taking everything she had not to crumble. "She didn't want to come back," her voice seemed devoid of life. "This town … we have to find her." She drew herself up, stared him straight in the eye with steely determination. "We will find her."

Jeremy, clearly still operating under the influence, butted in. "We should ask Klaus for help."

Liz nodded in agreement, bringing out her phone, "I have his number."

He couldn't help himself. "Are you kidding? How the hell did you get devil spawn's digits?"

"Caroline, she …" Liz didn't appear able to finish the sentence, lapsing into silence.

Had everyone gone crazy? Why was everyone on team Klaus all of a sudden? "Can we at least wait for Stefan?"

Liz looked at him as though he had grown a second head; she opened her mouth to speak but was cut off. "I'm here," Stefan announced. "Why the glum faces?"

Damon breathed a sigh of relief, back up had arrived, "Caroline's been taken, don't know who by, this lot want to bring in Klaus."

Stefan's eyes narrowed, "Caroline was taken?" He spoke slowly as though he was trying out the words to determine how he should react and then his face transformed, rippefied features taking over.

Damon wondered how he had missed it – Stefan and Vampire Barbie? How the hell did that happen? His brother had clearly lost it, but it wasn't like Damon could do anything about that now, especially as Judgy still hadn't been inclined to restore his ring's use to him. Damon was stuck in the corner unable to do anything but watch Stefan looking homicidal as Liz hit send on the phone call of doom. If Damon had any doubts that the universe was against him they were expelled when Klaus answered on the first ring. Damon could hear the conversation unfold.

"Klaus, it's Liz Forbes," her voice was surprisingly steady.

"Sheriff Forbes, to what do I owe the pleasure?" the bastard actually sounded as though it was a pleasure to hear from her, Damon knew that would be short lived.

He was sure he heard the orchestra of doom warming up with the next words from Liz's mouth, "Caroline is missing; there was a werewolf and a witch; she's been taken."

Dead silence, absolute. Spine-chilling silence followed by heavy breathing.

The calm before the storm?

No one moved a muscle, not even Liz, every one of them waiting on the big bad. "I will find her," each word sounded like a struggle as though he had to wrench them from his throat.

"He hung up," Liz advised.

Damon smirked, and looked to Stefan only to find he had left at some point during the talk with the big bad. What the hell? He moved to follow his brother, but was forced back when his skin sizzled yet again, "What the hell Bonnie!"

_Bitch!_


	7. Chapter 7

She didn't awaken gradually, one moment she was in oblivion and the next she was staring into a pair of dark brown eyes set into the face a young woman clearly something more than human – one generally didn't get that close to a hungry vampire recovering a heavy vervain dose, followed by a neck snap … or two.

So what was her latest captor?

Not a werewolf … certainly not a vampire … so that left ... witch? Not the one from the Salvatore house, so it was her lucky day, her group of kidnappers included multiple witches and at least one werewolf – didn't she feel special? The woman moved out of view, and Caroline listened as she took a few steps further away.

Though not wishing to hasten the torture she felt obliged to lift herself up keen to see whatever it was that the witch was up to. Her whole body ached, vervain still in her system, experience told her. Caroline supposed she should be grateful that her current kidnappers had dispensed with vervain ropes, but then again, best not get her hopes up. She found the dark eyed witch eyeing her from the corner of the room, seemed like the witch was awaiting an attack. Like she thought Caroline would rush her – plainly not aware this wasn't her first time.

Silences were never really her strong suit, so after a while she found herself filling it, "So you're a supernatural something, I'm a vampire, and we are having this party of two because?"

The witch smiled, not much of one, just a small lift of the corners of her mouth. "I'm Sophie, you're Caroline, and you're here because the Original Hybrid hasn't delivered as promised."

She felt herself visibly deflate; she was here because of Klaus. Seriously? Argh. "What do you want?"

"Freedom," she said solemnly. "Klaus can help us, but he doesn't appear to be motivated. You can provide that."

Great, just fabulous, so this was going to follow the normal pattern. Get kidnapped, listen to someone bitch about their problems, and then there's the torture, the crying, the looking like total crap, more crying. She wondered why it had to always be her, weren't there supposed to be like four billion odd other people on the planet, couldn't they take turns?

Sophie pulled out a cell phone and held it out to her, "I want you to call him."

"I'm sorry Caroline is not available to take your call, please call back when hell freezes over." She really was sick of this crap. Head exploding, definitely a witch.

Klaus had finally made progress, of a sort, there was a house and in that house there was a tower – a place no one was allowed to go. He had no doubt that whatever held the witches of Nola subservient was located in that room. It had taken a mammoth amount of exertion for him to discover that such a room existed he shuddered to think what it might take to find it.

He was inclined to share the new found information with Elijah and the witches and tell them to find the bloody room themselves – he was over the whole thing, he wasn't built to kneel especially to Marcel and the ingrates he called family. The limits of his patience had been exceeded; therefore he would leave it to his brother and the witches to complete the journey to their freedom. His time would be better spent ending all those smug ingrates before he ran himself a bath in Marcel's blood – it was time for him to stop play-acting and take what was his.

Just when he felt all was right in the world his phone decided to ring, he glanced at the unfamiliar number amused; there was only one person with the gall to give out his number. "Hello," he managed to sound extremely disinterested.

"Klaus; it's Liz Forbes," Caroline's mother advised.

He felt his pulse race, a genuine smile played across his features. "Sheriff Forbes, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

There was a slight pause, "Caroline is missing; there was a werewolf and a witch; she's been taken."

Taken? Caroline had been taken? It didn't make sense; surely no one could want to hurt her, not Caroline. He couldn't breathe, his body shook, it didn't make sense … and then suddenly it made perfect sense. No one would want to hurt Caroline, someone wanted to hurt him. He realized he was still holding the phone, Caroline's mother was waiting for him to say something, "I will find her." Each word was like pulling razor blades from his throat, he hung up. He couldn't waste any more time.

He operated on auto pilot, finding the number on his phone, hitting dial. "It's Klaus, do you still have that item I gave you?" his voice was icy, making it perfectly clear that there would be only one acceptable answer.

"Yes," the woman sounded nervous.

"You will perform a location spell, you will find its owner; you … will … not … fail. Call me once you have the location, be sure not to keep me waiting long," and with that the call was over. They would call, he would find her, and he would find them.

They were all going to die, every last one of them - whether they touched a hair on her head or not, they were not long for this world. But if … if … they should dare to hurt her, make her bleed a single drop, make her eyes even water with tears, they would suffer before their ends. His rage burned with the intensity of a thousand suns.

He almost threw his phone when it rang again, another unfamiliar number, "Yes?"

"We have her," an unfamiliar male voice.

He made no reply, he was seething.

"We want to know how Marcel controls the witches, you are going to tell us," the dead man continued.

He almost laughed, what were the chances that two separate groups in New Orleans would approach Him the dreaded Original Hybrid for answer to that same quandary? Slim to none is what. Those stupid little bitches, he would burn them alive. "I have no answers," he spoke quietly, making every effort to keep his voice even.

"Caroline will be very disappointed to hear that," was the cool response.

"I want to speak to her," he demanded.

"She's not available, maybe later, like when you have information for me," the voice sounded smug now as though only now realizing he had something Klaus valued. And then there was nothing but a dial tone, the connection severed. The phone crumbled in his hand, he tossed the pieces and watched as they smashed against the pavement.

He had lived in darkness for a thousand years before her light dispersed it, if they took her away from him, the darkness would be absolute … it would be forever and if they forced him to reside in darkness he would have no choice but to revel in it. And he would begin by killing each and every witch in New Orleans … and then … well … Armageddon was nothing compared to him.

Caroline wasn't in a co-operative mood, not in the slightest. It wasn't that what they asked her to do was difficult, merely speak to Klaus, say hello. Only she knew that they were clearly endeavoring to corrupt her to their purpose, so this simple request was the first step, one of many no doubt. They were after something particular from Klaus, and they seemed quite determined to get it. She simply did not believe that giving in to them would increase her chances of living, but denying them might just give Klaus enough time to find her before this escalated exponentially and Bonnie was welcoming her on the Other Side.

She wondered if Bonnie was with her now, couldn't the supernatural dead find you if you thought of them? Just in case, Caroline thought of Bonnie often - best not to put ones eggs in the same Klaus-owned basket after all. So she thought of Bonnie, hoped that her friend could find her, and share her location so that she was … yet again … saved.

Caroline was glad of one thing in her latest captivity, she had finally found an upside to having been tortured so much, it made what Sophie did to her seem tame. She could take a little witch-induced brain explosion, in fact the more often she was subjected to it the higher her tolerance became. She heard someone approaching well before the door was pulled back, she had known by the footfalls that it wasn't Sophie, but she didn't expect the woman who walked through the door. You could have blown her away with a feather she was so shocked. "Hayley," her breath caught in her throat.

The were-slut smiled smugly, "Caroline." She moved out of the door way allowing two men to follow her into the room, the men moved to take up positions behind Caroline, but she paid them no attention focusing on Hayley alone.

Caroline knew then how she ended up in her current predicament; the were-slut had once again sold her out. "You bitch," she glared hotly.

"You don't look so good Care," the use of the nick name a clear dig.

Of all the gall, trailer trash cow. Caroline was well aware that she was not looking her best, she'd been allowed only a minuscule amount of blood, no shower, no make-up, and no curling iron. Of course Hayley would rub it in, for the first time since the were-slut entered Caroline really looked at her – another surprise. Shocking … unbelievable surprise. "You're pregnant, how are you pregnant?" she couldn't prevent the words from escaping.

Hayley smiled, caressing her giant belly, "how do you think?"

Well duh, yes, she knew how, but … how?

"One-night stand?" she couldn't help it, Hayley had a habit of pissing her off, bloody traitorous bitch.

Hayley smirked, Caroline wasn't sure if she'd ever seen her so smug – she felt a chill creep up her spine, she didn't want to discuss this anymore, she had a bad feeling.

"I was just so very grateful when he saved me from Katherine, and really it wasn't like it was a chore considering he is just … mmm … freaking fantastic in the sack," the smile was wicked.

She didn't want to know, but she just had to ask, she just had to...even though she knew she would regret it. "Who?" Her voice small, so very small.

"Klaus of course, do you know anyone else that good in the sack?" her head cocked. "Oh, that's right, you haven't had the pleasure," for someone who didn't like teen drama she seemed to excel in it.

Caroline felt her nails cut into her palms, she knew it wasn't rational but she felt an overwhelming sense of betrayal. Then she thought about what Hayley was actually saying, the were-slut was pregnant with Klaus' child. What the hell? No way could that happen, even if he did sink so low as to take a turn with the trailer trash slut, Klaus was dead. Sooo not possible. "Are you on crack?"

She sensed the men tense behind her.

"The witches call it nature's little loophole, Klaus was a werewolf before he was turned so he can do what vampires can't."

There was something about Hayley, pregnant or not, that always made Caroline want to strangle her. She was toxic, and to think there was a time when she'd actually considered feeling sorry for her. "And just why are you telling me this now?"

"You don't owe him anything, you should consider co-operating," her attitude was suddenly dialed down, she almost seemed to be pleading for Caroline to take her advice. It was almost like she gave a damn.

Caroline was not going to fall for it, she'd given the woman the benefit of the doubt before and she'd ended up with a broken neck - Carol had ended up dead. Hayley didn't care about anyone but Hayley.

"I should rip your fucking spine out, but I'm not going to do that either." Rage - that is what she felt - boiling hot rage. She could feel the tears welling in her eyes; she did not want to cry in front of the bitch, she would not give her that pleasure.

"Get out before I change my mind," through force of will she kept her voice even. Caroline moved towards her, and then the men's hands clamped down on her arms and then the tell tale prick of a needle in her neck. The men released her and moved back to stand beside Hayley who was looking guilty all of a sudden. Caroline knew why when her neck started to burn, it wasn't vervain, it was a death sentence.

God damn bitch, I hope you rot in hell.

Caroline heard, rather than saw, Hayley and the others leave the room. Just in time, the tears flowed down her cheeks in a never ending stream. The tears weren't for impending death, that would be understandable, these tears were for something she couldn't comprehend. What Hayley had told her had upset her, more than that, she was beyond upset and she didn't understand why. She wasn't with Klaus, she had never been with Klaus; it really shouldn't matter. Not that he slept with Hayley, nor even that the bitch was pregnant with his child. None of it should matter, but it did, it mattered so much she found herself devastated, bereft. And she didn't know why, she didn't understand why - when the venom was flooding through her veins - this was what concerned her.

"What is wrong with me?" she mumbled as she settled into a ball on the dirty floor.

She dragged herself up when she heard someone approaching some time later, more than one someone actually. Hasty hands wiped the tears from her cheeks; don't let them see you cry.

Next she heard raised voices, loud thumping, and then the door was pulled back as tall muscular man entered, witch she thought.

"Caroline Forbes?" he asked. She nodded numbly. "You need to come with us," he held his hand out to her.

"Come where?" she asked almost hopefully.

"Do you really want to stay here?" he questioned.

No, she didn't, but she wasn't sure if going with him wouldn't be the last mistake he ever made. Still at this point she was convinced she had zero chance of survival if she stayed. Her voice failed her, so she nodded her ascent and took the offered hand. He supported her weight through a corridor, a door, some swampy scenery, and into a black SUV.

It was only from the relative safety of the vehicle that she looked around, there were two bodies within view, heads severed from their bodies. She felt a certain kind of satisfaction in that which, she reflected, she would normally feel bad about.

Not today, not with death coursing in her veins.

It wasn't until the vehicle surged forward that she realized she was still holding on to his hand, she released it immediately. "Did Klaus send you?" she found her voice, hope giving her strength.

He met her gaze and shook his head in the negative. She probably should have asked him earlier, she mused. "Who?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

"I need his blood," she mumbled tiredly. She fell into darkness wondering if the next thing she'd see would be Bonnie's welcoming arms.


	8. Chapter 8

It had not taken him long to find where they were holding her, still he wasn't quick enough. The bodies were barely cold when he stepped over them to search the house whose residents, every last one of them, had met their end. Ordinarily he would have been furious to have come so close and been frustrated so near to his goal, but he wasn't – there was a sinking feeling in his stomach, acid churning.

Every head had been severed from its body, all eight of them; two of their number outside the rest indoors and, considering that he was being generous calling the place a house, it was clear to him that whomever had collected Caroline had been exceedingly quick and deadly efficient. It spoke volumes.

The deaths were clean, even so, there was a lot of blood; each heart had beat after the head had separated, propelled the liquid through the newly made orifice. Few vampires could have maintained enough control not to feed; he did not believe it was their work. In his experience, and it was extensive, werewolves kills were never clean, they ripped, they tore, they used their hands – the necks presented straight uniform slashes, the work of blades. It wasn't werewolves.

Witches used blades on occasion, but not these. He had seen their work before; they had gone through skin, muscle, cartilage like a hot knife through butter. They were not normal blades and their presence meant only one thing… still, he hoped, short lived though it was – it evaporated when he entered the room in which his Caroline had been held. The blonde's alluring scent permeated the air, for a moment he had closed his eyes savoring it, her cherished features flashing past his eyes. A smile had reserved his features, spreading across his face and claiming it as she had his heart. It lasted but a moment before he caught something else, a barely noticeable scent he had come to associate with Her. His eyes had flown open, fixed on the deadly object, that single black orchard of destruction which destroyed the hopeful fantasy. Of course Her curiosity had not evaporated upon his departure, she had told him she wanted to meet Caroline and so she had sent them to collect her.

He did not think it likely that Caroline would be harmed whilst a guest in her domain, but he did not feel relieved. The world had titled off its axis, he felt as though a part of him was missing, physically removed. It was not the lonely longing he had endured awaiting the day she would come to him, it was so much more than that. A bitter laugh tumbled from his throat; how ironic was his circumstance now, he who had lectured against the perils of love was now so irrevocably lost within its embrace that he was reduced by her mere absence.

No there could be no relief in the knowledge that the black eyed bitch had Caroline in her clutches, because it was the one place he could not retrieve her from, not without Her consent at least. And should that consent be denied? Should he present himself with the answer to the witches of NOLA's capitulation ask for his heart to be returned to him and be greeted with only silence. What then?

How long did it take to sate the curiosity of such a being? And what if it wasn't curiosity that led to the interest in Caroline? He shuddered at the thought, what other reason could one such as Her want Caroline? She, for whom this world always seemed to hold so little of value, had particularly burnt with interest when requesting an audience. Was he then mistaken and that which seemed unlikely was in reality a foregone conclusion?

_Love is a vampire's greatest weakness, and we are not weak, Elijah. We do not feel, and we do not care._

The words from the past haunted his present. He had not understood what it was that Elijah had felt in that moment so long ago, he was incapable of comprehending the depths of despair his careless words must have forced upon the most loyal of his brothers. Only now did he know, truly know, what it was to have the life of the woman he loved in the hands of another, and if that other were to ask Him what does it matter if she lives or not? Klaus knew he would not answer as his brother did, not even if he were told that it was a necessary sacrifice, not even if the world depended on it. Were he asked, selfish as he was, he would answer without hesitation, without restraint … everything. Caroline was everything, and were he to lose her … were she to be removed from this world there was nothing he wouldn't do, nothing he wouldn't give to be reunited with her, whether in this world or the next.

He hoped that the black eyed bitch knew that, he hoped that there was a service which only he could perform, that this was the reason behind her interest, he hoped.

* * *

Caroline awoke with a  _Splitting_  headache; it felt as though her heart was hammering in her head, each beat throbbing through her temples. She opened her eyes one at a time immensely grateful that where ever she was now it was dark. "Argh," she groaned softly bringing a hand up to cradle her tender head.

"Don't try to get up," the words seemed to drift towards her, origin unknown.

She didn't attempt to lift herself up despite her desire to do the opposite of what she was told. "So now I'm imprisoned on the couch?"

"You are free to move wherever you like … within the confines of this … house," the voice paused over the word house as though unsure of its correctness. "I simply meant to advise you that in light of the combination of vervain, hunger, and venom it would be better if you were to take it easy."

Venom, yes, she had been injected with it. Why wasn't she dead? "Klaus?"

"He isn't here," the voice replied.

"But the venom, I need him … I …" her hand was at her neck, there was no wound. Shouldn't there have been a wound? "His blood, I needed..."

The voice cut her off turning firm and unyielding. "Another time." that discussion was clearly over … for now.

She felt a presence beside her and then a bag was pressed into her hands; she could smell the blood, her face contorted in want of it. "Where am I?" she asked making no attempt to sate her thirst, though sorely tempted.

"This is my … house." Once again there was a slight hesitation.

"You don't seem certain," the blood was calling to her, her gums aching.

"House isn't accurate, but it will suffice. Drink, you are thirsty." the voice implored.

She just couldn't hold back anymore she ripped into the bag and sighed contentedly as it hit her tongue before slipping down to her throat. Even when the bag was empty her throat still burned with wanting, but she didn't request another, she dragged herself up into a sitting position. It was not what she expected, and yet … it was exactly what was expected. Everything was recognizable, she was sitting on a couch in a typical living room, everything exactly where she would expect it to be, how she would expect it to be, all very familiar … she was in her mother's living room, and yet … she wasn't. "What the hell."

"It will take a while to adjust to this environment," the voice reached her again.

The voice was another thing that wasn't quite right, she hadn't noticed so much when her head was exploding, but now … why couldn't she determine anything about it, why did she think of it as the voice and not her voice or his voice. What was so unidentifiable about it, was magic disguising it somehow? Did the person not want her to be able to identify them? If that were the case, her chances of survival had just sky-rocketed surely, so why didn't she feel relieved? "Who are you?" she asked, her eyes scanning that strange hazy area beyond her mother's almost living room.

"Feel free to call me whatever you wish," the voice, the suddenly very feminine voice, advised.

It was almost as though her believing that something should be made it so; the voice needed an identity so it had one. And because the voice had to belong to someone, a woman appeared at the edge of the living room. There was something distinctly other worldly about her Caroline thought, they were about the same height she figured but that's about where the resemblance ended. The woman was ghostly white, her skin almost translucent, her hair was long and so black that it was difficult to determine where it ended and the shadows began, but it was the face that drew her focus it was imperial supermodel features … a little too perfect, symmetry not found naturally … and the eyes, they were devoid. She had never seen eyes like that, black, so very black that she was certain that if they were closer – which she honestly hoped they never would be – she was sure she would be able to see her own image reflected back. Black was not a color, black absorbed all color, people's eyes weren't black.

If Klaus healed her, why wasn't he here, he would never have left her, he wouldn't. "Oh my god, am I dead?"

"No, you are very much alive or rather as alive as a vampire can be," the black eyes seemed blacker.

There was something creepy about black eyes. "What are you?" she felt so very brave asking.

The semblance of a smile drifted across that face, chilling in the extreme. "Excellent question, but I'm afraid now is not the time to answer it Caroline."

It knew her name, why did it have to know her name? God damn it, why was it  _always_  her? And just why couldn't she keep her mouth shut? "What is it time for?" she didn't mean to ask, she didn't want to know.

"It's time to prepare," the … woman … uttered and then turned away moving back into that strange hazy area beyond the living room of her youth.

What was that supposed to mean? "Prepare what exactly?"

Her voice floated from the darkness as though it uttered the words, "You Caroline; it's time to prepare you."

 _Seriously?_  "What the hell."

Laughter; that is what she heard next and it was a sound she never wanted to hear again, not in this place, not from  _her_. Softly, barely in her range of hearing, "how apt," and then a long pause, a deadly pause, "a war is raging and you need to prepare for battle."

Caroline followed the sound of the voice into the darkness, searching out the source, "what kind of war?"

The black eyes were directly in front of her; Caroline's image reflected perfectly, her terrified image.

"The oldest one."

_Uh … what?_


	9. Chapter 9

Silas had lived almost the entirety of his existence laboring with but a single purpose, to be reunited with his beloved. He had elected to desiccate to the point where he was more stone than man to avoid an eternity on The Other Side without her, never faltering in his resolve, never once doubting that it would be worth it. For he knew that there was nothing in this world more certain than his love of Amara – he had always been hers; mind, body and soul. Their love was of the type they wrote epic poems about, it was timeless … as they had meant to be.

It was not fate that torn his dreams asunder; it was his best friend. The vindictive handmaiden of Lucifer slid a knife across her throat, tearing his heart from his chest in the process. Qetsiyah betrayed him in the worst way possible, and he hadn't seen it coming. He had been naive, he had trusted her completely, utterly, and it was Amara – sweet, innocent, human little Amara - who had paid for it.

His days were endless, but it was not the life he had chosen, he was never meant to be immortal without her. Qetsiyah had offered him a solution, a cure for his immortal infliction, a peace offering her note had advised, and then the malevolent hag had told him of her final treachery – he was trapped in a tomb and if he should take the cure, Amara would be separated from him forever. Amara was at peace in the afterlife, should he die he would be stuck in The Other Side. Silas had vowed to never gift her victory; he would undo the evil she had wrought, destroy The Other Side and join sweet Amara in the Afterlife.

It was all he had thought about for over two thousand years, it was enviable, destiny.

But after more than two thousand years of certainty, he found himself doubting. His doppelganger's best friend was a distraction; harmless entertainment to help him pass time until he reunited with Amara. He didn't actually care for her; he couldn't actually care for her. Yet when Damon had told him that she had been taken he had felt … there were no words for what he had felt, it was so long, he had gone so long without...

Silas had to die, it was decided the moment Qetsiyah slit his raven-haired beloved's throat, it was going to happen. The Other Side would cease to be, the doors of the Afterlife thrown open to his kind. It was fixed. He knew this to be true.

But when Damon had said she was taken, he had found himself conflicted. He didn't care for the blonde distraction, he absolutely didn't, but as sure as he knew that he had to die, he knew she had to live. The world was better for her being in it, and though he didn't intend to remain in this realm he was determined that if she should ever leave it, it would be her choice.

Silas had left the Salvatore mansion the moment Klaus answered the phone; he knew this world and the players in it. Caroline was a baby vampire with a sunny disposition, this was not about her. He had smelt the werewolf the moment he reached the door, sensed the magic a mile back. Witches and werewolves didn't play well together - witches didn't play well with anyone – so this was about the Hybrid.

And the Hybrid was in New Orleans, so that is where Silas went.

It was a strange place, something other worldly about it, something slightly off. He sensed it the moment he crossed inside its boarders, a weird vibration, something entirely new but somehow familiar. Had he time to consider it further he was sure he would be capable of defining it, but he was all too aware of Klaus' cuddly nature – any enemy of his wouldn't hesitate to do Caroline harm, time was precious and very limited. He moved through the supernatural hub searching for her image in the minds of all he met. It took longer than he would have liked, too long, but he was eventually successful.

He was not subtle in his interrogation, no time for mind games, he was brutal and ultimately when the subject of his attention bared meager semblance to humankind Silas had what was required, his Sunshine's location. He left the bag of broken bones groaning in torment and went to retrieve what they had taken.

It was with a sinking feeling that he surveyed the carnage of whoever had gotten there before him. Caroline was gone, he was once again too late. A head went flying as he booted it as rage built within him; he tore the bodies limp from limp coating himself in their blood. There could be no denying it now, despite what he had told himself, he cared for her.

More than that, he loved her.

* * *

 

Rebekah was surprised when Matt had rung and told her the Caroline was missing, abducted by witches and werewolves no less. It was an unlikely turn of events; small town baby vampires didn't acquire such enemies. Her brother on the other hand … well he didn't play well with others. Problem was very few people were aware of Nik's interest in Miss Sunshine and Rainbows, fewer still were stupid enough to tell anyone about it. In fact, she could only think of two such idiots. And when she considered that the doppelganger bitch Katherine had, of late, been practically salivating in her determination to prove to Elijah that she was worthy of a second chance, that list was whittled down to one.

Hayley- white trash soon-to-be-mother of her niece - the guest of a certain tribe of witches that were in desperate need of assistance in relation to a certain sooth voiced cretin with delusions of grandeur. If it was inconvenient that were-bitch didn't keep her mouth shut, it was disastrous that the witches had thought it advisable to act on the information. Rebekah was well aware of how the vindictive little bastard would react, violent in the extreme.

One didn't poke the beast; one most certainly didn't wrack it over the head and do a victory dance whilst it was dazed, it would recover and when it did there would be nowhere safe from its wrath … there would be no one safe. He would tear each of every one of them limb from limb, including the blabbermouth were-bitch. And the baby, who Elijah was busy building the new Mikaelson Empire around, would be nothing but a memory.

Rebekah hadn't wanted to go to New Orleans, she hadn't wanted to help Elijah on his quest to find Niklaus' redemption; she had wanted to be free of her familial obligations. One thousand years of loyalty was enough, especially considering what she had received in return. So when Elijah had asked her to go she had refused, when he had all but begged … she had refused, but when she returned from her trip with Matt and found him waiting for her she had relented, just that tiny little bit, just long enough for him to tell her about the magic miracle baby.

He had stared at her in silence for the longest time and then he had asked again, and … she had refused, again. Elijah had given her a disappointed frown, and how he managed that she didn't know. Then, as they always did, he had left her.

She hadn't stayed in the dreary little town more than a few moments after his departure, but she hadn't followed him, no she had escaped. Continued where Matt and her had left off, traipsed around the globe in search of diversion. Nothing held her interest for long, and in the back of her mind lay that picture of their family remade, incredibly annoying, undeniably tantalising. Eventually, she had capitulated and made her way to New Orleans. Elijah had sent her an invitation almost immediately following her arrival and she had agreed to the meeting without a performance. It did not surprise her that he knew what swayed her, she had left no room for doubt on how little inclined she was to help Nik after all. No, it was the baby that held her interest – how could it not? She who envied all things human, how could she not be persuaded with the vision of a blood child to nurture as her own?

Her meeting with Hayley had not been necessary, but she had gone none-the-less. The werewolf was unexpected; there was something decidedly trashy about her. She was so far removed from what Rebekah envisioned her brother would covet, that she wondered if the witches were mistaken. Then she had recalled Elijah's words in Mystic Falls, one evening of passion was how he had chosen to describe it, he had always been prone to avoid giving voice to unpleasant truths. Hayley was meaningless, the type of woman her brother was normally as inclined to kill as fuck. It was not passion, it was an itch her brother had chosen to scratch and it was Hayley for no other reason than that she was there.

How amusing it had seemed that the trashy little thing had risen to the lofty height of mother to a Mikealson; and how very unfortunate too. Rebekah had known what would befall the werewolf the moment she had watched those hands creep protectively over the skin under which their baby lay. There could be no claim upon the child but theirs, and regardless of Elijah's promises Hayley's death was demanded, neigh, mandatory.

Pondering on it now Rebekah wondered if Hayley was aware of that, if this was why she told the witches of Caroline. Perhaps the were-bitch thought that if they held the blonde obsession Nik would stay his hand when the time came, that she would be allowed the briefest relief which would allow for her escape. Rebekah almost felt sorry for the woman, had it been only her life at stake she would have, but her actions had put Rebekah's hopes of motherhood in jeopardy. Having lost her chance at a human existence she was resolute in her determination to hold on to a small part of that dream.

For that reason, she had sought her brother out. Found her way through the underbelly of supernatural New Orleans to share his table. She didn't need to ask him if he knew; she saw the darkness in his eyes, barely restrained savagery. "You can't kill Hayley," she began.

He gave her a dark smile, "not only can I, I have to. Moreover…" he broke off staring straight through her as though recalling something.

"Once the baby is …" she began again.

He laughed bitterly, "The baby … of course. You are here baby sister for the fruit of my loins; well you are to be disappointed."

Rebekah felt a shiver run up her spine. "We will find Caroline; she will be returned unharmed, I promise. There is no need to …"

He cut her off again. "I know where Caroline is and you shouldn't make promises you cannot keep."

"What can I do?" she pleaded.

"Nothing, nothing can be done. There are things in this world …" he stopped, looking through her yet again. "There is somewhere I need to be." He got up and turned to leave.

She flashed over to him and grabbed his arm, "Nik, please."

He looked at her then, really looked at her and her heart lurched at the despair within his eyes. "There is no baby," he spoke so softly that had she not been so close she would not have heard him.

"What?" she breathed. Clinging to his arm like a lifeboat in stormy seas.

He closed his eyes, expelling the air from his lungs in a shuddering breath as though he was on the verge of losing control. His eyes opened and found hers again, "there never was."

She felt as though she had lost her footing, "but Elijah … Elijah, Niklaus, he was so sure."

He shook off her hand, "he was deceived."

No, it couldn't be true and yet she knew that he was not lying to her. She had been cursed with the ability to identify lies, so his words delivered her a severe blow, her dreams again shattered. There would be no new Mikaelson to heal the bonds of family, no child for her to raise, no one to love her unconditionally - always and forever.

It was all fantasy.

Her eyes fell to the floor, along with her stomach.

Her plans, her dreams of a better life, visions of that little girl calling her mother, all for nought, and that's all she ever got. Tears welled in her eyes, made a path down her cheeks to fall at her feet. She felt the lightest touch flutter across her cheek and looked up to find herself staring into empty space; he had left her to wallow in her misery alone. Why was she always alone?

Hayley, the witches, the baby all were forgotten. If Nik had brought them in one by one and ripped out their hearts in front of her she would not have cared, she wouldn't have even noticed. One thousand years of longing, heartache, and betrayal were nothing to what she felt now. This was all consuming, this was throbbing agony; this brought her – who bowed to no one, nothing - to her knees.


	10. Chapter 10

"Again," she instructed, sounding bored.

Caroline found her feet, picking up the dropped sword and sighing. "How long are we going to do this?" she asked, almost annoying herself with her whiny tone. Almost.

"Until I say otherwise," and she lunged.

For all her speed Caroline still found herself floundering, reacting, forever on the defensive. She figured she was improving, if the decreasing number of cuts and bruises after each session were any indication, but her assailant never offered praise. It was only ever what she was doing wrong, how her ineptitude would see her killed in record time. Once again she found herself flung to the ground, yet more burning slices marring her skin. "How long have we been doing this?"

"Long enough to determine you'd be a lamb to the slaughter. Again," she motioned upwards.

How long had she even been here? She wasn't sure; time seemed to flow differently here, wherever here was. She had not been idle in whatever time had passed, she hadn't been allowed to be; every  _day_ she had spent under attack, each moment a lesson in how easy it would be to kill her. Caroline was exasperated, every part of her ached, each cut burned intensely and for reasons she didn't understand they would not heal, not until the session was deemed over and the black eyed jailor would give her a blood bag.

"Again," she coolly informed.

Body protesting Caroline rose once more, well aware that if she wanted that healing bag of goodness her body craved she had to do as she was told. Experience had taught her that if she didn't get up she would be left to wallow in agony until she did. "Can this be the last time?"

"Are you capable of improvement?"

This time Caroline lunged, and for all of two seconds it was her on the offensive, but then she was desperately attempting to defend herself as the black eyed jailor continued the trail of cuts across her body before she appeared to get bored and swept her legs out from under her. The air expelled from Caroline's lungs as she hit the deck and the collection of abrasions across what was left of her skin cried out in torment. Even so, she managed to drag herself up before the chant of  _again_  was uttered.

She was rewarded with a smile and another hard tumble to the ground. Caroline wondered if this was to be her life from now on, punching bag extraordinaire. Every slight movement was painful, requiring a mammoth effect she frankly wouldn't have considered herself capable of when she had first awoken here. Somehow her legs were under her again.

"Enough," her voice had never sounded sweater.

Caroline breathed a sigh of relief then practically moaned as the blood bag weighted down her hands, she drank deeply and felt the soothing warm of it spreading through her veins healing on its way. When the bag was empty she looked up surprised to discover that her jailor was still there having become used to her retreat after each and every session, her absence in between.

"I thought we were done for the day," she tried hard to make it more of statement than a desperate plea.

"We are," the woman sat down upon the replica couch.

"So, then?" it was just weird to see the woman sit, she  _never_  sat. She was always just kind of floating around the place like ghosts did in movies. Caroline sighed feeling uncomfortable under the never blinking gaze. "In a chatty mood are we?" she attempted to lighten the suffocating atmosphere.

She did what Caroline believed was her best impersonation of a smile, a small little thing that barely turned her mouth. "Not particularly, no."

And yet, she  _remained_.

They watched each other for a time, neither speaking, just watching … waiting. This was new to Caroline, it was against the established order of things and she wanted to know why. "Was there something you wanted to talk about?" she ventured.

The woman merely shook her head in response.

She found her really annoying sometimes, hell the woman was constantly annoying, the woman for which she still didn't even have a name for. It irked her. "I've decided to call you Constance, Connie for short," she announce with an expression boarding on spiteful.

"I've been called worse;" with a shrug of the shoulders.

"Such as?" the silence was answer enough. "Right … another time. I don't suppose I could get my cell phone back seeing as you're so not chatty."

A bell chime laugh was the only response.

"Everyone's supposed to get a phone call Connie," she did her best sickly sweet impression.

"Special rules for special people Care," the answer was in the same vain.

Caroline was fairly certain they hadn't reached the level of friendship - or any level for that matter - that made Connie's use of Care permissible, she just wasn't certain it would be in her best interests to say so. It occurred to her suddenly that Connie wasn't the best choice in name, it was too similar and that wound was just too fresh.

Connie was still staring, but Caroline sensed a slight shift which made her fairly certain that the weird little interlude, or whatever it was, would not continue for much longer. There were so many questions she wanted to ask, so many that really needed answering, but she found herself asking one which she doubted was important in the grand scheme of things. "Can you see Bonnie?" she chewed her lip. "Is she here?"

The smile froze on Connie's face, her eyes widening in surprise for a fraction of a second but long enough that Caroline noticed ... And wondered.

"Bonnie cannot come here," was the response, the smile disappearing altogether.

That didn't fit with what Caroline knew of ghosts, the supernatural variety in any case. Bonnie and Caroline shared a strong bond so surely if she thought of her, focussed solely on her, she would come. Bonnie loved her, maybe not as much as Caroline loved her in return, but it was an undeniable fact. So why couldn't Bonnie come? What prevented it?

"Is it a spell that keeps her out?" it was a logical leap.

"Yes," was the indulgent reply.

"Couldn't you lift it? Just for a little while so I could talk to her," she could feel the tears pooling in her eyes, the longing overtaking her.

"It was not of my making and I will not undo it," there was no sympathy in those black eyes.

"Whose spell was it?"

"Do you know how vampires came to be Caroline?"

Why was it always so difficult to get answers? "Yes, Esther cast a spell, Mikael killed them; they came back, drank more blood to transition..."

"The Originals aren't actually original, try again," it was like she was back in school.

 _Silas … right._  How did she manage to forget him? "Qetsiyah and Silas wrote an immortality spell, she cast it for him."

"What happened next?"

"She thought that he loved her, but he didn't. He wanted to make another woman immortal so Qetsiyah killed her." She failed to see the point of this.

"And then..."

"Then she created the Other Side and the cure which she buried with him. He had two choices take the cure so he could die or desiccate."

There was a slight pause, as though Connie was considering her response. "And why didn't he take the first option?"

Caroline got the distinct impression the woman was going to say something else.

"He would have been trapped on the Other Side, separated from his love." Saying it out loud made Caroline feel sorry for Silas, sure he was a homicidal twat who made her and her friends lives less than pleasant – practically killed Bonnie – but hey, Qetsiyah was a bitch. There was no denying it. And when all was said and done, she was quite certain she wouldn't have been a box of bunnies after desiccating for two thousand years – it probably wasn't conducive to a sound mental state.

"And there you have it." Connie stood.

"Seriously? How exactly does that answer my question?" she found herself sneering.

"Remind me Caroline, what was your question?"

 _Well duh!_  "Whose spell was it?"  _Oh._  "Qetsiyah," so now she felt a little stupid. "It's the same spell, isn't it?" she wasn't sure what made her think it, it just seemed right.

Connie inclined her head, the small smile back.

_But then ... was that even possible?_

"Do you know what he sees in you Caroline?"

 _Abrupt change of topic if ever there was one._  Caroline wanted to pretend she didn't know who he was, wanted to feign disinterest and stay on topic, but she wanted to know where this line of questioning would lead and so her curiosity rendered her incapable. "He told me I'm full of light."

"He's not wrong," the eyes narrowed briefly, seemingly considering. "There is something about you that is rare amongst your kind and quite impossible to find in my own."

"Which is what exactly?"

"It's difficult to define, a certain kind of joy, a lightness of spirit."

"No, I meant, your kind." Caroline firmly believed that Connie had known exactly what she meant and had chosen to deliberately misunderstand her. That in mind she didn't actually expect an answer, only reiterating her query in an effort to annoy the other woman. She'd been there for like forever and learnt quickly that Connie didn't volunteer information about herself, seemed to avoid the topic like the plague. So it surprised Caroline when she didn't just turn and walk away.

"We have many names and none at all. What would be your guess Caroline?" she smirked.

"I don't know, I thought you were a witch at first, but that isn't right."

"No, it most certainly isn't," though her tone didn't noticeably change Caroline felt as though the words were colored by contempt, as though Connie considered witches were lowly creatures.

"So what are you?" she figured she may as well try. She who dares wins, at least in the movies.

"Old," Connie immediately turned away indicating an end to the conversation.

Caroline wasn't quite ready to drop it. "You healed me didn't you?"

The woman paused in her retreat, but didn't turn.

"The venom,  _you_  healed me?" she prodded.

"Yes."

"Thank you."

Connie stiffened ever so slightly and then turned her head until their eyes met. The black eyed woman parted her lips as though to speak but then simply nodded and melted back into the darkness.

Caroline knew she hadn't left, the woman  _never_  left, her presence always felt whether within view or not. Sometimes she wondered if the woman was as much a prisoner there as she was herself.

* * *

Silas had stayed in New Orleans; there was simply no other choice but to do so. He should have been employing his time better; he should have been in Mystic Falls working on bringing back the Bennett witch in order to be that one step closer to his Amara, one step closer to denying Qetsiyah victory. He shouldn't have wasted his days following around the Original Hybrid, following the quest to retrieve what was taken. He shouldn't have, but he did.

He had somehow convinced himself that before he reunited with his raven-haired love, he needed to ensure that his little ray of sunshine was safe. It was puzzling, but he was resigned. And so he followed the best lead he had.

At first he had made an effort to be discreet, to remain hidden but it hadn't taken long for him to become frustrated, not only with the Hybrid but with himself. They were both of them wasting time he thought. So he made himself known, he sat himself down in a bar full of vampires and waited.

"You're new," a deep voice pronounced.

Silas was amused; the great Marcel King of New Orleans had decided to grace his table. "Not so much."

Marcel smiled wide, "got a name?"

"We aren't going to be friends, best move along," it seemed as though everyone in the room was suddenly on edge.

"This is my town, so you follow my rules, name?" the voice harder, more menacing now.

"Stefan Salvatore," a familiar voice answered.

Silas smiled, "Klaus."

"Friend of yours," Marcel eyes shifted to the Hybrid who merely smiled in response.

"Let's go for a walk mate," Klaus motioned towards the door and then turned and walked out of it.

Silas got up to follow when Marcel grabbed his arm, "Next time Stefan you best show some respect."

"Now why would I do that?" he shook off the offending arm, then grabbed Marcel by the throat.

Marcel looked shocked, less because he'd grabbed him than no one else reacted Silas thought. "Next time we meet you best show some respect," he whispered before releasing the  _King_  and leaving. He had walked only a few steps before he turned and found Klaus by his side.

"She's not here," he told him.

"But you are, and why is that?" Silas knew already of course, but appearances and all.

"This is my town."

"The way I heard it, this was your town, now it's Marcel's," he watched the Hybrid flume with satisfaction.

"Not for long," he sighed. "Why are you here Stefan?"

"I'm here to help you."

His jaw clenched, "and just how do you propose to do that?"

"I know the location of a certain room," he stopped walking.

Klaus seemed for a moment dumbfounded, and then Silas found himself pushed up against the closest wall. He briefly entertained the idea of throwing the Hybrid off, but decided to continue the pretense.

"How?"

"I followed Marcel," well in his mind anyhow.

"Not possible."

"Everyone was too busy watching you," he kept his expression blank.

The Hybrid didn't look convinced, his thoughts were murky as though he was making a deliberate effort to block him. Silas wondered if the Hybrid had figured it out, but then he released him. "Show me."


	11. Chapter 11

Elena was a mess; worry was itched into her features her deep brown eyes rancid with it. Damon didn't enjoy seeing her in such a state; he didn't deal well with silent wallowing being more of a slash out at the world kind of a guy so standing around attempting to comfort someone who was clearly beyond comforting was difficult for him. That he managed to do it was a reflection upon just how much he loved her, how his heart beat for her alone.

"We will find her Elena, she's going to back here in no time," he hugged her tightly. She nodded against his chest and he pulled back to look in her eyes noting that they hadn't changed. She didn't believe him, and he couldn't blame her – how many people had she lost now anyway? To her it probably seemed a foregone conclusion that Caroline would be taken from her as Bonnie so recently was. Why would she believe him? He still hadn't found a way to bring Judgy back and he'd been working on that for months. He couldn't believe he was going there, but anything for her, "Klaus will find her, you know how obsessed he is with her; no way would he let anything happen to her. Who would he stalk then?"

"But something has happened to her Damon, they took her," her big doe like eyes pierced him.

His hands caressed their way up and down her arms in a soothing motion, "She's coming back." He told her with conviction and was rewarded with a small smile. She leaned in to him, her head coming to rest on his chest as her hands reached up to his shoulders. Damon was tempted to transition from soothing caresses to something of another nature, but held himself back figuring she wouldn't be inclined what with her brother in the room and all.

Of course, upon reflection he reasoned that he could have them out of the room and into his bedroom in record time; his hands slid slowly down her arms and then meet to cup her backside pulling her closer. For a moment her hands held him tighter, but then she seemed to change her mind and pushed him back with force an exasperated expression claiming her features. "Damon!"

He smiled his devilish smile at her, blue eyes flashing and he watched her struggle to suppress an answering smile. For a small moment in time he had made her forget the latest crisis and he felt a prodigious amount of pride for having accomplished such a feat, even when it was fleeting. Elena's eyes soon lost the splash of playfulness the worry again taking up residence.

"Bonnie's spoken to the other witches and they can't help," Jeremy interrupted or Bonnie by proxy, whichever, still an interruption.

"So not helpful, why can't she work some voodoo?"

"Wherever Caroline is we cannot follow," more and more of late Jeremy had taken to repeat Bonnie's word verbatim, Damon thought it was just plain freaky.

"And so I'll ask again, where is it that you lot can't go?" he wondered why he bothered; Judgy just wasn't very useful post death. She did however seem to excel at being a pain in his arse.

Jeremy didn't answer immediately, but Damon could tell from his face that Bonnie had. Little Gilbert was looking at his sister like he thought she might be about to go off to the loonie bin, like he was about to send her there. Damon wished he had waited until after Elena was sound asleep to start this conversation, whatever Bonnie had to say was clearly going to hurt Elena, damage her and he didn't want that. Of course there was no going back now, Elena would refuse to leave without hearing the answer; her eyes were glued to her brothers demandingly. Damon opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off, "what did Bonnie say?" Her voice sounded so small, her eyes large and desperate.

"It could be a spell, I mean there are really powerful witches right, so it could be a spell that's preventing them from finding her," Jeremy spewed out the words, his voice just the little bit too high – obviously they hadn't been Bonnie's.

Elena's eyes narrowed, "what did she say?" Each word was clipped.

"Elena, we have been over this Bonnie doesn't actually know anything she said would only be speculation," Damon tried to sooth her, pulling her back into his arms.

She pushed him off, flashing over to stand before Jeremy, "answer me."

Damon watched as Jeremy gulped and then having taken a large breath replied. "The Afterlife, Bonnie said she might…"

"Nooooo," she wailed at her brother, tears pooling in her doe eyes. "She can't be, if she died…" she turned to Damon pleading "she'd be with Bonnie wouldn't she?"

He wanted to say yes, he wanted to allay her fears; he opened his mouth to tell her of course she was right vampires didn't go to the Afterlife, they couldn't, but then he remembered. Jenna hadn't gone to the Other Side when she died and she was a vampire. Not every supernatural was cursed to the Other Side, so bubbling little Vampire Barbie might not have joined Bonnie had she left this world. He wanted so much to say yes, he tried to, but he couldn't. So instead he pulled her back into a bone crushing hug and cried with her.

* * *

Caroline awoke suddenly, one moment in the depths of a somewhat disturbing dream involving the Original Hybrid and then eyes open sitting-up-awake kind of sudden. Something was wrong, off, different. She took in her surroundings, everything looked the same, same weird living room, same hazy area beyond, same everything. But something was different. Without realising she had gotten up off the couch she found herself on her feet and moving towards the blackness beyond feeling uncomfortable in the lighted area that she had rarely left in all the time she'd spent at the  _house._ There was most assuredly something different.

"Connie?" she called out to her jailer, nerves vibrating.

"Connie?" she called louder.

There was no response, which wasn't unusual, but then it struck her what was different, that presence she always felt wasn't there. Connie wasn't there, but Connie was  _always_  there, always. Well, up until now she had. Caroline wasn't sure what it meant, but she didn't bother wasting too much time thinking about it, this was an opportunity and she was going to make use of it. She moved further into the darkness, this time with purpose, if she was going to find a way out of wherever the hell she was she needed to find it fast because she knew in her bones Connie's absence would not be of a long duration. Caroline moved swiftly her hands in front of her searching the blackness for freedom, a wall, a door, or at least something.

"Argh," she growled, how was this emptiness just continuing? There had to be an end, didn't there?

Then she saw it, a light in the distance, her heart leaped and she flashed forward, kept moving until the light surrounded her. She stopped and then the smile of triumph that had spread across her face melted into a frustrated frown, she was back where she started.

"Seriously?"

She was annoyed, but she was also Caroline Forbes and she didn't give up, so she tried again … and again … and again. Each and every time she found herself back next to the couch in the living in which she had made herself at home. After the fourth time she kicked the couch in anger, her ire increasing when she failed to move it even an inch.

"This is not happening!"

"Why would you think that?" Connie asked standing just within the reach of the light.

Caroline held up an accusing finger, "you left!"

"Yes," was the uncaring response.

"I want to leave," she whined stamping her foot in a shamefully immature manner.

"And you can … when we are done," like a jury's verdict.

Caroline plopped herself down on the couch, huffing. "You suck."

Connie inclined her head. "No doubt."

"Where did you go?" she asked pleadingly.

The black eyes seemed darker than ever, "home."

"This isn't home then?" she found herself leaning forward eager for an answer.

"No, this … this isn't ..." her voice faded out, her eyes looking past Caroline.

"Are you ever going to tell me?" she asked with a sigh.

"Yes."

"But not now?" as though she didn't already know the answer.

"No."

"Why not?"

Connie's eyebrows lifted and fell. Okay, so Caroline knew it was a stupid question, no need to be condescending - she had every right to be frustrated and to ask any question even if she did know the answer, even if t was stupid.

Caroline nodded, sitting back, "you'll let me go before all my friends are dead though right?"

Connie smiled her little smile, "I thought your friends were supernatural."

"Not all of them, not even half," she dismissed the comment.

"You are very lucky you know," the black eyes found Caroline's.

She cocked her head, "how so?"

"To have so many friends."

Caroline considered the other woman, she didn't seem sad, it was as though she was commenting on the weather. "You don't have many friends?"

A shake of the head, "No."

"Do you have  _any_  friends?" somehow she knew the answer.

"No," she uttered with an uncaring air.

Caroline felt sorry for her, but Connie didn't seem effected. "We could be friends," she ventured, not actually overly keen on the idea.

"No," and with that Connie disappeared back into the darkness.

Well now, that was just rude.

* * *

Hayley was ready to pop, and thankfully still among the living even though everything had seemed to go wrong. Caroline was no longer a prisoner, but she wasn't with Klaus, apparently not back in Mystic Falls either which meant the bubbly blonde was most likely dead. Which meant that it was only a matter of time before Klaus came looking for revenge. Nothing in her life had ever gone to plan, so she should have seen it coming, hell she did see it coming, but she'd still opened her trap.

She regretted it now, especially as her current state meant that running was not an option, but there was no point whining about it. Plus who knows how generous Klaus might be feeling if she presented him with a healthy bouncing heir. She'd grown attached to the bump, truth be told, but at the end of the day Hayley was dead keen on not being dead so, if she had to, she'd give up all rights to the child.

"It won't be long now," Sophie went and stated the obvious.

"Never would have guessed," she replied snidely waddling backwards and forwards. "Any news?"

Sophie shook her head, eyes full of worry. "He appears to be continuing as before."

Maybe that meant little miss perfect was still among the living undead. Maybe there was hope for Hayley's happily ever after yet. "Do you think she might ..."

"No," Sophie cut her off, "we aren't being blocked, there isn't anyone to locate."

Well wasn't she just a joy to spend time with. Don't worry about panicking the heavily pregnant woman. Why didn't she keep her trap shut? One little full moon turn as opposed to an immediate death if lucky and years of running prior to torture and death if she wasn't. However, she didn't feel too sorry for herself, after all she was still better off than Caroline and should she escape Klaus' wrath, should the baby be sufficient to buy her freedom, with Caroline no longer among the living there was a very real chance that her happy ever after might be spent with Tyler. Surely her run of bad luck was due to end?

She felt like a beached whale and was excessively grateful that there were no mirrors around, her ankles were swollen, her face puffy. How woman ever claimed that being pregnant was in any way enjoyable she didn't know. It was awful and she was sure that would be the case even if it wasn't insufferably hot or if she was having the baby of someone she actually liked rather than the psycho Hybrid. She despised being pregnant, but no where near as much as she despised Klaus for getting her into that state. The only good thing, the only thing that made it  _worth_  it was the promise of the baby at the end. Her daughter.

But of course, she would never be  _her_ daughter. At the end of her pregnancy she would bring a Mikaelson into the world and she would be taken from her. It didn't matter if she loved her, didn't matter that once born she would be the only family she likely had in this world, she wouldn't be allowed to be a part of her life. She wasn't going to get a baby out of this, she wasn't going to see any of her firsts, she wasn't even likely to get the chance to see her.

Not even if Klaus hadn't found the answer by the time she gave birth, if not him, the witches would take her. And then if, by some miracle Klaus granted her unheard of leniency, she would once again be alone in the world.

Still, she was better off than Caroline, and when since she had first met the blonde had she been able to say that?


	12. Chapter 12

Klaus followed Stefan to the outskirts of New Orleans to a large house in the middle of nowhere, if he had any doubts that his instincts were right about the truthfulness of his old friend they were now removed.

Stefan was lying through his teeth, there was no way he had followed Marcel out here, no way without him noticing that was. He considered the vampire beside him, compared him to the Stefan in his memories, he came up short. Barring possession, there was only one being in their world - to his knowledge, which was extensive - that could take on another's form.

Which meant the tales of his demise were just that, tales.

"Took you long enough," Silas said with a large smug smile across Stefan's face.

"I was distracted," he grumbled in response. "Why are you here?"

Stefan's laugh filled the air, "like I said before, I'm here to help you. Now, shall we?" He started towards the house.

Klaus grabbed his arm. "What do you want now?"

"Right now I want to help you find your bargaining chip so that we can get sweet Caroline back, and for you to let me go of course," he looked pointedly at Klaus' restraining hand.

Klaus searched for some sign of deceit, but couldn't find it, not to mean that Silas wasn't lying - he just couldn't detect it. But wait, had he said we? So that  _we_ can get her back? "What do you want with Caroline?"

Silas sneered, "nothing."

This time Klaus had no difficulty, he was most certainly lying. He looked the other man over, he seemed wired, had been since they met in the bar. "You like her," he said it out loud, all the time hoping he was mistaken.

"It wouldn't matter if I did, I'm here to help you if you do not wish me to assist you go on in there by yourself. See how far you get."

Klaus didn't move, if this was somehow part of Silas' plan, if Caroline was a part of it, he couldn't go any further. Right now Caroline was beyond Silas' reach, perhaps it was better for her to stay there.

"I won't hurt her," Silas told him softly turning his face away as though ashamed of the admission.

He believed him, he was also certain he had never hated Silas more.

"Don't worry Klaus you can still be her  _last_ ," he said tauntingly.

Correction, now he was certain he had never hated Silas more. Klaus trod towards the house as much to get away from the vampire as to complete his mission. Unfortunately Silas was soon by his side. "When I get Caroline back, I'll be requiring the services of one of your witches."

"And there it is," somehow he felt better that there was another motive behind Silas' actions. He'd have felt a whole lot better if it was the only motive, but you couldn't have everything. No, not everything, but Caroline was  _his_...well more his than she would ever be Silas', there was still his irritating hybrid in the way after all.

"She finds him irritating half the time, of course the other half he's the sweetest dog in the world. You handled it badly you know, if you hadn't made him leave town thereby making them star-crossed lovers he'd be out of her life by now. He's completely wrong for her, like Riley and Buffy wrong."

What on earth was he on about? And why did he feel the need to give Klaus relationship advice? Especially when it was becoming very clear that the vampire had feelings for Caroline himself. Had someone stabbed him in the heart with a white oak stake? Was he now residing in his own personal hell? "I take it Stefan is still back in Mystic Falls?"

"Literally mate," Silas winked and chuckled softly. Then he suddenly stopped and threw his arm out in front of Klaus, "stop, we can't go past this point."

"And just why is that?"

"It will end badly, but if you want to test it go ahead," he dropped his arm.

Klaus didn't move, he believed Silas. "What do you suggest?"

"Well I suggest you introduce me to a witch."

Some part of him found it amusing that necessity now dictated that he give Silas precisely what he wanted. The decision about which witch to throw in Silas' path was ridiculously easy, how many witches had tried to murder the love of his existence? Precisely one. It was a pleasure to dial her number, a joy when he heard her voice on the other end of the line, "Sophie love."

" _Klaus, Hayley is practically in labor, I do hope you have news."_

Oh how she was an insufferable bitch, he'd almost forgotten what fun was, "I believe I've found the location of your problem."

There was a moment of deadly silence, _"where?"_

 _"_ I'll text you directions, your assistance is required."

_"With what?"_

"Not precisely sure, there appears to be some type of barrier, we can't get past it."

_"Who's we?"_

"Why myself and my old friend Stefan Salvatore," he smirked at Silas.

_"I'll come, but I will bring a couple friends of my own."_

"The more the merrier sweetheart," he hung up and then quickly text the directions. A minute or two later Sophie sent a text back advising they would be there in twenty minutes. He looked up to find Silas watching him with a solemn expression he knew too well, "why Stefan?"

"Well he is my doppelganger," he shrugged.

"I'll be damned," Klaus breathed out.

"Aren't we all?" Silas winked.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later Sophie pulled up in pick up truck with two men who were clearly werewolves and another tall dark haired man who Klaus pegged as a witch. "Sophie, lovely to see you again. Stefan say hi to Sophie."

Silas stepped forward and bowed slightly, "pleasure to make your acquaintance my dear."

"Wish I could say the same. Where's this barrier?"

Klaus pointed her towards the house, he watched as the tall man and Sophie moved forward stopping just a few feet from where Silas had stopped him.

"Whoever did this is powerful, but we can remove it. We'll need a few minutes," he got the distinct impression she had an idea as to who that powerful person was.

"Take your time love, it's not as though Marcel would send every vampire in New Orleans to protect the source of his power," he smiled wide as she turned a ghostly shade of white.

Silas chuckled.

Just eight minutes later Sophie was motioning them forward, Klaus waited for one of the werewolves to cross the invisible line before he crossed himself. Sophie took the lead in the house, checking for any further obstacles. Then sooner than he would have thought they were outside the door.

Klaus raised a questioning eyebrow, but both the witches and Silas answered with a shoulder shrug. Everything within him told him not to go through that door, but for that part of him that Caroline held he pushed forward and found himself in, of all things, a bedroom. Before him a young woman.

"You must be Klaus, Marcel has told me all about you," she was smiling nervously.

Klaus strode in, confidence personified, "has he love?"

She swallowed noticeably, clearly frightened, "I'm Davina."

"Don't fret pet, we aren't going to hurt you, we just came for what your friend Marcel is using to control Sophie and her friends," he waved a hand towards the two witches who appeared frozen in place.

"It's her," Silas said softly drawing Klaus' attention.

"What do you mean it's her?" no witch could be that powerful, but Sophie didn't seem so surprised.

"Witches have diminished in power, their strength watered down as their blood did. Qetsiyah was a hundred times more powerful than the strongest coven in these times, even had it included Bonnie Bennett, I was more so. She's a throw back, her blood replenished somehow, stronger," his eyes were fixed on the young witch.

Klaus had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, what was it she had said?  _"You are only here because someone sent you."_

He knew that his window of opportunity was closing so he stopped stalling and flashed forward intent on breaking the girls neck, but before he could reach her he found himself airborne. He crashed into the wall behind him, almost went straight through it, and it was brick. He pulled himself up quickly and moved forward at the same time that the werewolves attacked, only to be sent flying backwards yet again fairing better than one of the werewolves who was sent to his death out the window head first. After that it was the witches turn, but even with Klaus, the remaining werewolf and even Silas providing distracting attacks the witches were both soon on their knees blood spurting from their noses. Klaus shared a look with Silas who nodded once then grabbed Sophie and jumped from the window, he followed close behind.

"What now?" Silas asked.

"Now I go see Caroline's keeper."

Silas nodded, "will she be released?"

"I believe so," truth be told, he wasn't at all sure.

"I won't be coming with you," he lifted Sophie into his arms bridal style. "Keep Caroline out of Mystic Falls."

"Why?"

"I'm done playing," and then he was gone _._

* * *

 _"_ Caroline," the voice called her to consciousness. "Caroline, wake up." She opened her eyes one at a time and upon finding two black ones staring into them she leaped up. "Oh my God, why would you do that?"

"You needed to wake up."

"But did you really need to get so close?"  _Come on, seriously?_  No one you weren't having sex with should get that close.

Connie tossed her a blood bag, "drink that."

Caroline started drinking, not because she was told to mind you, but because she felt like it. That was her story and she was sticking to it. When the bag was empty she felt a little bit more forgiving about the whole waking her up and getting stalkerish close, a teeny tiny bit.

"I'm going out," Connie announced with the eminence of a royal birth.

"Home again?" she asked in a bitter tone.

"No, Caroline, I'm going out into your world."

"Which would make this...?"

"Difficult to explain."

"Why don't you try?" her tone wasn't improving any.

Connie didn't seem to mind, forever unmoved by anything and everything it seemed. "In simple terms, this is a bridge or a gateway between my world and yours, rather it is one of them."

"A gateway," she nodded her approval of the term. "How many are there?"

"This is the only one with any permanence," she paused. "And then only when I reside in it."

And just when she had thought they were getting somewhere, "you left before."

"Yes I did," the small smile back yet again.

"This place didn't disappear."

"No it didn't."

"So clearly it doesn't just exist when you are in it," she smiled wide, awaiting the back track.

"Right you are," she nodded in an almost approving manner.

It wasn't the satisfying victory Caroline was expecting, she didn't even feel pleased that Connie admitted she was wrong, she felt a wee bit on edge. "Has no one ever been here when you've left before?"

"One or two across the centuries."

"What happened to them?"

"They were not here when I came back," she advised.

"So they left, people can leave when you do?" she was dripping hope.

"Could you leave when I did Caroline?"

"I couldn't find the way out."

"They couldn't either," it was like she was reading out a grocery list for all the emotion in it.

So obviously they had died, or ceased to exist or whatever, they weren't alive anymore. So why was she? There was an explanation, and it was one Connie clearly believed she was capable of reaching without further assistance as she didn't appear inclined to speak again. Caroline looked down at her hands and her eyes fell upon the empty blood bag - if this place only existed when Connie was in it and Caroline had kept it open in her absence then it was obvious who's blood she had been drinking. "It's your blood."

Connie clapped her hands together once, high praise indeed, "the blood bank doesn't deliver this far out."

 _Wait was that a joke?_  Connie had cracked a joke?  _Welcome to the Twilight Zone._  "But that means ..." Caroline felt her cheeks begin to burn, her anger building. "You left before, you can't have known what would happen, you could have killed me!"

"Yes," and she nodded in agreement.

She nodded, that was it, no I'm sorry I endangered your life Caroline, I'm sorry I lied to you Caroline, I'm sorry I used you Caroline. Why the hell was it always her? Why was her life never important? "You bitch," she fumed.

She shrugged, "I've been called worse. Now focus Caroline."

"You have got to be kidding me, FOCUS? Focus on this," and she gave her the finger. Not Caroline's finest come back to be sure, but she had just woken up.

"Or don't, but in any case, I am going out."

"You said that already," she crossed her arms, jutting out her chin.

"Indeed. You are obviously staying here, but should your attitude improve upon my return Caroline I will allow you go back," she held up a finger warning against Caroline's intended interjection, "there is, naturally, a condition. You will be allowed to return to your world, but you will come back if I require you again. Now, I really must make haste, he is waiting for me," she melted into darkness.

"Who?" Caroline had the strangest feeling. "Who?" she asked a little louder, but then she sensed the change, Connie had left the  _building_.


	13. Chapter 13

There was little doubt that she had never been more broken, but like all those times preceding she reached a point where she simply could not cry anymore, and once her eyes dried she pulled herself to her feet. Once on her feet she put one foot in front of the other and as she did so she rebuilt herself yet again. She was foolish, she knew, she had always let things affect her too deeply, felt too much. Felt so much that when the inevitable happened and her dreams were shattered the disappointment, the heartache was crippling. But she got up, she moved on … with a little more baggage … this too she would get past. There was no other choice.

That said, Rebekah was not ready to deal with people, especially people she knew, particularly her brothers so when Elijah appeared at her side she was less than kind, "Bugger off."

He looked at her with an expression so full of concern that she felt like tearing his head off. "What happened?" he asked in that calm yet caring tone she suddenly despised.

"What always happens, silly little Rebekah buys into a fantasy and gets her heart broken."

"Rebekah, it is unfortunate what transpired, but Niklaus isn't going to kill her whilst she is carrying his child. He may have cared deeply for Miss Forbes, but family has always come first," he said earnestly taking her hand in his.

She found herself doing something she didn't think she was yet capable of, laughing. She laughed so hard tears came to her eyes; somehow it was just hilarious viewing such gullibility, especially from Elijah the paragon of sensibility.

"Seriously?" she turned to face him. "Nik is going to kill that were-whore, he's going to bath in the witches' blood, and then he's going to tear each and every one of those werewolves that shelter them."

He shook his head disbelieving, "he won't kill his daughter. He promised."

She closed her eyes, searching for the strength to tell him, the strength to say the words out loud. To know it to be true was one thing, but to have to say it … to hammer in that last nail and enclose the dearest of dreams within a coffin for all time, that took strength and she needed a moment to find it. "It's not his, what Hayley is carrying, it's not a Mikealson," she breathed out, knowing the weight of the words.

Elijah looked genuinely perplexed, "Rebekah I compelled Hayley myself, she lay with no other. The child is Niklaus' I assure you."

"I'm sorry Elijah but you're wrong, Nik wasn't lying, the child isn't his," she smiled sadly squeezing his hand.

He shook his head. "Just how did Niklaus come to such a conclusion?"

Rebekah paused, unsure how to convince him of what she now knew to be true when she had no particulars to sway him with. Nik hadn't told her, but he hadn't needed to. It was enough that she knew he was certain, because if he was it was an irrefutable fact. Of course, that wasn't an argument that would convince Elijah, he needed the facts. "He didn't tell me."

He nodded, "did he appear upset?"

Rebekah sighed, knowing precisely where he was headed and she refused to assist him.

So naturally he took her silence as confirmation. "Our brother has always felt an overwhelming need to lash out when he is hurting. Do you not think it a possibility he advised you the child is not his in order to make you as miserable as him?"

His words meant to alleviate her woes instead compounded them, nothing was so sure to kill any lingering hope than finding Elijah's cool logic so easy to dismiss. "I want to believe you Elijah, truly I do, but you didn't see him, you didn't hear the words pass his lips. They were not uttered to make me wallow as he was, they were spoken reluctantly and however much I may wish it to be otherwise I know that what he said was true. But then, could it ever have been otherwise?"

"What do you mean?"

"Have the last thousand years taught you nothing big brother?" she let out a hallow laugh turning away from his searching eyes. "Everyone thinks you are the moral Original, but we both know who really held that title and look where that got him. Finn was the first dispatched to the Other Side. Then the one time Kol tries to do something worthy the doppelganger bitch has her brother shove a stake through his chest. We are not rewarded for good deeds Elijah, all we ever get is ash." She dropped his hand, "We are cursed as surely now as the day our parents killed us so why do you think any one of us would be granted the blessing of a child?"

"Without hope, what are we?" he stared past her.

"Mikaelsons." It was all suddenly so clear to her, so very clear and so very bleak. Elijah had built his dreams of their family reborn and Nik's redemption around the child, but he had been mistaken, tragically so. She turned back to him and wondered if she should tell him. If she should drive the stake in further or allow him time to recover. "We've lost him you know."

"He's not beyond redemption Rebekah, not even if the child isn't his."

"He didn't feel deeply for Miss Forbes Elijah, he  _loved_  her," she watched him absorb the words, watched as regret claimed his features. "Even if that child was his, it wouldn't make a difference, not now."

"I promised them," his shoulder's square, lips a thin line.

"You cannot save them Elijah, please don't try."

* * *

After one thousand years he had been fairly certain that he had experienced all there was to experience, however that was before he had the displeasure of the unnerving feeling that overtook him upon turning to find her standing beside him. It wasn't that no one had ever snuck up on him before, well actually, it wasn't  _just_  that no one had snuck up on him before, it was that she had and she was never meant to occupy space within his realm let alone the space directly next to him. "Where's Caroline?"

"Being of use. Now Niklaus, care to share the purpose of your visit?" she asked holding out her hand.

He took it reluctantly, suppressing the shudder at her touch.

"Let's go Niklaus." She spoke a minute later.

It took him a moment to process what she had said, but then he turned and walked back to his car. In no time at all they were in the vehicle on their way to New Orleans, not a word was spoken for the entire journey - much to his relief. When they arrived at the property he noted that in his absence the cavalry had arrived, the place swarming with Marcel's disciples.

"What now?" he questioned, turning towards her to find her already half way out of the car, he sighed and joined her.

"How quaint, there's a welcoming committee," she observed dark eyes gleaming.

Klaus watched as a dozen vampires approached them, he noted from the corner of his eye that she was as calm as ever. One of their number separated himself, stepping forward, "you aren't welcome here, best you leave." He spoke forcefully, seemed sure they would listen.

The woman beside him smiled. "We are here to see Davina; I suggest you let us pass."

The vampire laughed and turned back to his cohorts, "she suggests we let her pass." They all joined him in laughter, assured no doubt by the perceived strength of their numbers. One moment they were laughing and the next each of their heads were cleaved from their bodies, she had moved so quickly that Klaus had barely caught it.

"Come," she motioned to him and stepped over the corpses towards the house.

Klaus followed without comment, for once a mere bystander to carnage as she smote a path through Marcel's loyal sycophants. The ease with which she dispatched them might have been humorous if it wasn't so disquieting. In less time than he would have expected he found himself back in the attic room, Marcel and Davina in front of them.

"Klaus," Marcel greeted him moving in front of the girl.

Klaus nodded in acknowledgment and turned his attention to his black eyed companion. "Davina," she spoke the name softly, beckoning the girl with a hand. "Let us have a look at you."

"Stay away from her," Marcel growled.

"Marcel," Davina's voice was barely above a whisper. "You need to move."

He turned to the girl, his voice turning soft, "don't worry, I won't let anyone hurt you."

To say that Klaus was surprised would be an understatement, clearly the girl was more than just a resource to Marcel; his protégé obviously cared deeply for the girl. Klaus wasn't sure if the other man was aware of just how precarious his position was just yet, but he rather thought it wouldn't matter to Marcel – if need be the man would die for her.

"I'd listen to the girl Marcel," she advised in that too calm voice of hers.

Marcel turned back to them one hand behind him holding the girl to his back as though intent on shielding her. "I'm not moving."

She cocked her head as though amused, "so you say." And then she flicked her hand to the left and Klaus watched as Marcel was propelled into the wall beside the bed. "Now Davina, take my hand."

The girl's eyes were fixed on Marcel who was attempting to regain his feet, judging by the man's difficulties Klaus presumed broken bones were delaying him. Davina turned back towards them, eyes beginning to tear, "will you promise not to hurt him?"

His companion said nothing, just held her hand out waiting. Klaus could now hear Marcel's bones mending, knew that in less than a minute the man would be back on his feet again. The girl seemed to know this as well for just a few seconds later his head exploded in pain and he fell to his knees. From the corner of his eye he saw her black eyes turn towards him and then relief as her eyes found his. One moment later she was in front of Davina her hand around the girl's neck.

"Please, he's all I have," the girl croaked out.

"Just this once," she replied and then snapped the girl's neck, dropping her lifeless body to the ground.

"Nooooooo!" Marcel yelled as he dragged himself to the girl's side and pulled her into his embrace. "Why?" he looked up at her with a devastated expression.

"She was not meant to be, not here, not now. An anathema," she paused, her eyes settling back on the lifeless shell of the girl. "It may be of comfort for you to know that she shall not linger on the Other Side, I have granted her peace," she turned then towards Klaus as though putting it out of her mind. "We are leaving."

Klaus' eyes were locked on Marcel's, he watched as the other man leaped at her back clearly intent on removing her head from her body. She turned, caught him by the arm and tossed him backwards as though he was a rag doll.

"Do not think you have the power to injure me, do not think you have the ability to so much as inconvenience me, you are to me as an ant is to you and were it not for my promise to the girl I would erase your existence without a care." Throughout her voice never rose above a whisper, her tone even and deadly calm. "Move on from this if you can, die if you cannot. Revenge is beyond your capabilities." She turned from Marcel and walked out the door.

"I'm sorry," he didn't know why he said it, but he couldn't prevent the words from leaving his lips. Marcel did not reply and he left him to grieve joining her back at the car. "Was that necessary?"

"Perhaps not," she got in the car. "Then again, perhaps it was. Either way, how is your concern?"

He knew better than to answer. "Am I to take you back?" he asked instead.

"Not yet," she turned her black eyes to his again.

"Where to?" he turned the key in the ignition awaiting her orders.

"Now I should very much like to meet your Hayley."


	14. Chapter 14

"It's time," one of the minders told her. "Push," as though it was easy, as though it didn't hurt like a bitch.

Hayley wasn't a people person, werewolves generally weren't, but she found her current company exceedingly irritating; much like her current situation, "Shut up," she growled out before doing precisely what they told her to. Hayley had experienced pain, the excruciating pain of breaking every bone in her body, so it should have been well within her limits of endurance, only in the moment she found it difficult to recall having ever hurt so much.

"Just one more push and he'll be out," they told her.

Just one more and she'd have a daughter she told herself. One more and she wouldn't be alone in the world, if only for the few precious minutes... seconds...that they would allow her to spend in her company. Regardless, there would be another in this world that she knew for certain was of her blood, a connection to another that could never be taken however far the distance between them.

"Now," they ordered.

And so she pushed, and pushed, and then she heard, what was perhaps the most joyous noise she had ever heard, the child's cry. Her child cried and though she was aware that shortly she would need to exchange any claim she held on her in order to remain among the living she felt an overwhelming need to hold her babe, to possess her.

"Can I hold her?" she didn't like that her voice was weak, that she was practically begging. She didn't beg, she hadn't begged in her life. "Please," she pleaded, reaching out towards the bundle in the strangers arms.

"Let her see the child," a new voice ordered.

Hayley's eye rose to the new entrant, an equal mixture of gratitude and despair bubbling inside her. "Thank you Elijah," she breathed as her daughter was placed in her opened arms. She looked down upon her, she was perfect and for a short moment in time she was all hers. A smile claimed her features. Whatever befell her she would always be this child's mother.

"We should go Elijah," a female voice Hayley recognized as belonging to the blonde original sounded.

Her face fell; she sighed heavily and then looked up to meet their eyes. "Take her."

Rebekah smiled sadly and then said the last thing Hayley expected to hear. "She will be staying with you." The blonde flicked her wrist looking a particular brand of bored. "Elijah we shouldn't be here."

Hayley turned her attention to the other Original, his face told her nothing but his shoulders seemed tense. If he was worried she was certain that, whatever the cause, it couldn't bode well for her. And if there was any doubt the blonde's insistent upon their leaving removed it. A chill was creeping up her spine, her mouth was dry, swallowing was becoming difficult.

"I made a promise," Elijah answered looking directly into Hayley's eyes.

A thousand questions flitted through her mind, but none made it to her tongue. Her blood was icy in her veins, a horrid certainty gripped her, the stuff of her nightmares was to become reality. Elijah's words made it all too clear, Klaus was coming and her chances of surviving the encounter were slim to none. What of her daughter though? Why did Rebekah insist the child was to stay with her? Was she to share her fate? No, Klaus would not raise his hand against his own blood, not even he was such a monster. So why then was bile rising in her throat, why did her daughter cry out as though in warning?

There was no time to ask for at that precise moment Klaus himself entered the room accompanied by a strange-looking woman whose dark eyes were trained upon hers. Hayley felt her entire being quake, her daughter suddenly silent as though realising it was not in her best interest to attract attention. Time seemed to slow, she watched petrified as Elijah moved between the new comers and her, a shield she doubted would do anything but delay the now inevitable.

"Niklaus, she is your daughter, don't do this," Elijah's beseeching voice echoed in her ears.

Klaus' face betrayed no emotion, "I have no daughter."

Hayley gulped, he would not stay his hand, angry Klaus was one thing, but this deceptively calm one was something else - this was the legendary monster, the most feared of all the Originals, and he had come for her.

If she could have found the will she would have risen from her bed and left her daughter safe behind her, but she didn't have it and in the end could her daughter really hope to survive her when Klaus had already disowned her. Every frightening tale of Klaus' revenge upon others flooded her head, she had heard only one first hand, that of Katherine, and for a few brief shameful seconds she felt a spark of hope at the possibility that Klaus would kill only her daughter in order to punish her.

"Move your brother before I do," a cold voice ordered drawing everyone's attention to the strange woman by Klaus' side.

For a moment nothing happened and then Klaus was pressing Elijah against the far wall and the woman was beside her. "May I?" the woman asked hand poised above her daughter.

Hayley's eyes sought out Rebekah's silently pleading for assistance; the blonde's eyes turned away to fix upon her brothers and with them went the last of her hope. She turned her eyes back to the woman, nodding her ascent. The woman's fingers descended and swept softly against her daughter's cheek, before coming to rest upon Hayley's arm. Hayley felt a small electric shock at the point of contact; then a flood of images flashed past her eyes, familiar and foreign all at the same time – like the memory of a dream. Soon enough the woman released her hold and stepped back, her face an unreadable mask.

"I am finished here," she announced to the room in general before turning towards the door.

Hayley finally found her voice, "What?"

The woman, whose eyes Hayley now noted were black - no distinguishable pupil - turned towards her once more. Though her face was unchanged there was something about her that led Hayley to believe the question was testing the woman's patience. "Your child is unexceptional. I have gleaned the limited knowledge you possessed, therefore you no longer serve a purpose and I am finished here."

Because that made sense, "What are you talking about?"

"Your child is a werewolf Hayley; she inherited the curse from yourself being that his father was human…"

"No, Klaus is the father," she cut in.

"You are mistaken, memories are relatively easy to manipulate for my kind and you had the misfortune to come in contact with one. Now, I have somewhere else to be so do excuse me," the black eyes refocused on Klaus. "I'll be in the car, don't keep me waiting long," and with that she left the room.

Hayley felt somewhat lighter as though a repressive weight had been lifted off her, and for a shining moment in time she felt as though she would escape unscathed. Naturally the Hybrid bastard felt inclined to ruin it. "I am aware of your transgressions sweetheart."

She molded her features in her best semblance of surprise, "I was certain she was yours, I still don't see how she isn't." She knew of course to what he was referring, but she firmly believed that her chances of leaving the place alive would increase if she could instill some measure of doubt that she had played a part in the whole Caroline affair. In fact she had the distinct impression that this would be her sole opportunity to distance herself, to save herself.

"Do I strike you as a particularly gullible individual Hayley?" it was the calmness of his voice that most worried her.

"No," the word barely made it past her lips.

He smirked, "as luck would have it sweetheart I've a pressing engagement, but rest assured I will be dedicating some of my rather considerable resources to hunting you down and delivering you to a most unpleasant and extended end. No one strikes at me with impunity."

"I swear I didn't know they were going..."

He cocked his head, "ticktock Hayley, my business won't take long so you best start running."

"Niklaus," Elijah interjected gaining his brother's attention.

"Big brother, I am aware you promised to keep the whore and her offspring save and have no doubt that, even in the knowledge that the child is not of my line, you are reluctant to break your sacred word. I'm going to make it easier for you," he spread his arms wide. "I promise that if you assist this slattern escape my wrath Katherine will face it in her stead, now I really mustn't keep the lady waiting any longer," he turned and exited, smirk firmly in place.

Her eyes focused on Elijah who stared at the space his brother had occupied, his forehead ceased with worry. As though he could feel her eyes fixed upon him he turned back to face her, his features forming a neutral mask.

"Are you sufficiently recovered?" he asked her politely.

Undoubtedly she was not in the best shape of her life, but she was confident that she was fit to travel. The words, in her opinion, were not well chosen as it was unlikely that she would ever recover - sufficiently or otherwise - her life as it was, was now over. She was not to endure the boredom of being stuck in one place again, running was to become her new favorite past time. She could only hope that she would have the same affinity for it as Katherine had. Her daughter snuggled into her chest. "What will happen to her?"

"She is your daughter, her place is with you," the male Original advised.

She held back the bitter laugh that attempted to force itself from her throat, so now the child was hers, now when her continued existence depended upon her falling off the face of the planet she was to take the child with her. Children needed things that adults could go without, whilst she could leave with the clothes on her back her daughter could not. Running with her would be the hardest thing she had ever had to do, she needed help but one look at the two Originals before her told her she would receive little of it from them.

Elijah held a wad of cash towards her, "take this and go."

Hayley pushed herself up, kept her face neutral by sheer force of will and took what she was sure would be the only help Elijah would be offering. Having spent most of her life chasing it, she recognized love when she saw it, Elijah would not endanger Katherine most especially not for someone like her. Her only value had been in the presumption that her daughter was a Mikaelson, that the one night Klaus had used her body in an attempt to forget Miss Perfect and was thought to have impregnated her in the process had made her worth saving. With that all now forgotten, the Originals had lost interest, in her and in her daughter.

Well, clearly not all the Originals, one of them was very interested, just not in her well being. Hayley imagined that however hard running might prove, getting caught would be beyond her worst nightmares, there was a reason Klaus was the most feared. She didn't want to feel his wrath first hand. And so, with her daughter clutched to her chest, she began her new life.

She ran.

* * *

 

Caroline was bored out of her brains. She felt as though Connie had been gone for an eon and with absolutely nothing to occupy herself other than sipping from blood bags the woman had left her or sleeping or thinking, and she was about ready to pull out her hair in frustration. Time didn't just drag on it crawled slower than a snail scaling Mt Everest, blood bags, sleeping, thinking, ranting, sleeping, ranting, ranting ... well you get the idea. Of course it could have been worse, instead of dying of boredom on the bridge to nowhere she could have been hanging on the Other Side with Bonnie, then again that wasn't an entirely unattractive prospect. She had plenty of time to miss her witch bestie, her doppelganger bestie, her vampire bestie, hell there were times she actually missed Salvadork, and if she was dead on the Other Side at least she wouldn't be alone.

She had already drunk a blood bag, ranted about the injustice of being once again held against her will, and slept for an indecent amount of time, so she was back to thinking. Specifically about life AB, After Bonnie. Reviewing the last few months - on the out side, who knew how long she'd been coped up - she couldn't help but wonder what she had been thinking, why she hadn't finally left all the Mystic Falls crap behind her and forged a new, better, existence without it. Going to college so close had been a mistake, she was a vampire for god's sake she could have compelled herself in anywhere ... hell, she didn't even need to compel she had gotten in to schools elsewhere, far far away elsewhere.

She should have gone, she should have left the drama behind her - she didn't need the badie of the week rubbish. Caroline shouldn't have been hanging around to be kidnapped for the umpteen time, she should have been off in the big wide world enjoying her eternal life, but she hadn't. It had taken time to piece herself back together AB that was true, but once color returned to her world she needed to get her arse out of dodge and yet she'd stayed. Why didn't she ever do what was best for her? Not even when doing so wouldn't have really hurt those she loved? Elena was fine, her mother was fine, Jeremy, Damon, Matt all fine. Stefan? Well, he could have left with her. And Tyler, of course, they would have left together. They could have all lived happily ever after if they could only get far enough away from Mystic bloody Falls.

It was what she needed, she really should have done it. But she didn't. Why was that? She wondered for what felt like the thousandth time. For the first time in the long while she had been trapped with naught but Connie for company she was overcome with that uneasy feeling that she had forgotten something. That important something that sent her to be captured in Mystic Falls, that something that she had been oh so desperate to discuss with Bonnie, yet somehow managed to push aside since. She tried to remember the first time she had felt it, the first moment that perpetual queasiness had taken over, but she couldn't recall other than it was certainly AB. Before her friends death it wasn't there, she was sure of it, even with all the Silas drama and end of the world as we know it disaster in the making it hadn't been there. So what brought it on?

It wasn't something she could put her finger on, much like she couldn't quite determine the moment Stefan came undone and was remade into his latest version. "Uh, my brain hurts," she told the ether.

"You're over thinking it, it's actually quite obvious," Connie surprised her by answering.

"You're back!" it wasn't that she actually enjoyed Connie's company as such, it was that she was sick of being alone. She flashed to the woman's side and hugged her before she even realized what she was doing. Needless to say Connie didn't hug her back, she merely stood stock still until Caroline removed her arms and moved to a respectable distance. "So how was your trip?" she asked brightly, grateful for the end of her solitary confinement.

"Not as productive as hoped, still I neutralized a threat and now know the identity of the responsible party so it was well worth the effort."

Caroline wondered who had suffered the misfortune of being "neutralized" but thought better than asking, instead, "who was the responsible party?"

Connie meet her inquiring gaze, for a moment it appeared there would be no answer, but then, "one of my kind."

"I thought the whole reason I was here was because you couldn't leave this place, well except when you have a poor unsuspecting vampire acting as your placeholder," it had been a while since she ranted with an audience.

"That is true of myself, but not of him. Things are not now as they once were. Long ago this place was not required, my kind moved freely, too freely. My kind is not, for lack of a better word, humane. We do not feel as you do, we are not affected by the suffering of others, we were not made that way," she paused, her gaze fixed upon something Caroline could not see.

"Our nature, our lack of regard for the feelings of lesser beings, heaped misfortune upon your world. Our interactions with your ancestors boarded on disastrous, and some among us believed we were lessened by the pettiness of it all. However, the amusement granted by your kind was difficult for all of us to forego, there was a war - a long insufferable thing in which weapons were forged to kill that which could not die and those who had never known what it was to bleed turned the earth red. There were no winners understand, all lost, your kind included. When it was over we closed each pathway to your world but this, and this can only be opened by me, only exists whilst I keep it open."

She really didn't understand a whole lot of what she had been told, it sounded like the stuff of legends, then again wasn't she now a thing of legend? "Why do you keep it open?" she figured she had to ask something.

"Not all of my kind retired, some were too weakened by battle to find their way home, most died. A few, a handful, survived. The door remained open for them, and now it appears all but one has past from your world."

"The responsible party?" she ventured.

Connie gave that little smile of hers, "yes."

"So what, now you both leave?" was it wrong to sound so hopeful?

"He has no intention of leaving, that much is clear."

"How is that clear?"

"However weakened he may be he infused within a girl the power of the witches of old, such interference is forbidden - even before the war."

It didn't take much to connect the dots, the girl was clearly the threat that was neutralized. Caroline wondered what the girl had been like, had she had a family that loved her, friends that would mourn her, was she like Caroline herself?

"What happens now?" she asked in a small voice.

"Now, I shall wait for him to show himself, and you ... you shall go back."

Caroline's spirits soared. "I'm going home?"

Connie shook her head, "you still have value to me, so I'm afraid you cannot return to your old life."

Somehow even though she had decided she didn't want to go anywhere near Mystic Falls being told she wasn't allowed to made her angry. "So what? Am I to be held prisoner for the remainder of my days now?"

"Not at all, merely until I end him or he ends me, afterwards you are free to do as you will," she paused, "Of course should I be the one consigned to oblivion your days will surely be numbered. No matter, whilst awaiting the outcome you will reside in New Orleans and make every effort not to die in the fast approaching battle to take place there."

What? "So because I'm so important, you're shipping me off to a war zone?"

"Caroline, no matter where you go you will be a target, but in New Orleans you will have protection."

Great, she'd have protection. Hopefully it was of a better variety than she'd had to date, cause frankly that sucked. She couldn't help but feel a wee bit bitter, here she'd been Connie's little blood slave for like ever and as her reward she was being shipped into yet another battle zone. "Gee, thanks."

"Caroline, I am not ungrateful for your service, however unwillingly given. If there is something within my power which you desire, other than a return to your old life of course, I shall give it to you."

Was there something? No, the only things she desired were beyond anyone's abilities, even freaky black-eyed supernatural mental cases. "I don't think you have anything I want."

Connie's eyes bored into hers for a moment before she placed her hand upon her arm and patted it, much like one would a dog Caroline mused.

"I am placing you into the care of one who will make every effort to insure that not only will you survive, but that you will be kept safe while the war rages," though her tone didn't change, she seemed a touch condescending.

Caroline's heart leaped, she was fairly certain to whom Connie was referring, but she just had to ask. "Klaus?"

The black-eyed woman nodded, "he awaits you my dear." She waved her hand and then Caroline found herself in the open air stumbling in her disorientation.

Two hands slid around her waist holding her steady, she knew without looking whose warm hands held her. "Klaus," she whispered, her eyes closing briefly before opening to find his beautiful blue-green eyes, more blue than green today she noted, staring back into hers.

His fingers brushed her cheek. "Caroline," he said her name like he revered it, his breath ghosting across her lips leaving them tingling. Her brain switched off as he pulled her further into his arms, crushing her to his chest and as she inhaled his scent she was overcome with a need to be as close to him as possible. For the first time in a long time, she felt like she was home.

"Caroline," the voice interrupted their moment.

Caroline's head snapped up, her body gravitating towards the voice, she would recognize that voice anywhere. "Bonnie," she stuttered out, tears pooling in her eyes as they settled upon her friend standing not five feet away from her. Her eyes turned to Klaus, "do you see her?"

"Yes," he uttered seemingly just as astonished.

Caroline turned back in time to take a leaping Bonnie into her arms, tears streaming down both their cheeks. _Thank you, Connie._ "Thank you."


	15. Chapter 15

Silas had been enjoying himself, and that was despite the disappointment of Sophie Deveraux who, it turned out, was not the most useful of minions to have inherited, well kidnapped. He'd been back in the Hellmouth, Caroline's influence was enduring, for only a few days and he had already taken over. There really weren't too many of the towns folk left that he didn't control, it had been surprisingly easy to absorb their free will once he put his mind to it, he had after all been gorging himself since he re-entered society. Being that he'd initially determined it counterproductive to reveal himself to the general populace following Stefan's trip over the falls, he'd been discretely sating his insatiable thirst with the student body of Whitmore College and blood bags donated by the residents of New York City. As it was a bit difficult to go unnoticed if the student roll was decimated he had refrained from killing anyone, but that was back when he had presumed certain elements of the supernatural population would be more inclined to assist his doppelganger than himself and actually believed that with such assistance his goals would be achieved.

Since his return from best friend duties in New Orleans, being confident in the Hybrid's ability to retrieve the bubbly blonde, he had dispensed with the whole under the radar strategy. In short order he'd left a few desiccated husks on the journey back, and once within the bosom of Mystic Falls he'd redirected the blood bank donee pool so that they now made their donations to him personally. Physically he hadn't felt better, he'd never felt more powerful, more in control, more  _him_. But no matter how many he controlled, how many he drained, he was no closer to achieving his goals, still frustrated, and once again alone in the darkness. He fluctuated between marvelling at his own magnificence and enraged at his impotence.

He looked on as Sophie demonstrated yet again how a poor a substitute she was for the Bennett witch, first she had established her ineptitude by falling to return the bitch's descendant to the realm of the living and now she was on the verge of outliving her usefulness being that she was apparently incapable of even contacting the girl. His eyes narrowed as she tried and failed the third time in a row, he watched as she wiped her sweaty palm on the material of her skirt clearly at a loss as to why she couldn't deliver.

"I don't understand, I should at least be able to sense her presence even if she refuses to communicate," she told him hands pinching at the material covering her thighs.

And he had thought the Bennett witch was annoying, at least she could work a simple spell. Granted his little episode at the town square* might have caused Bennett's withdrawal, but he really hadn't thought she'd give up on the town without a fight. Yet, she wasn't there, she had seemingly abandoned the town's folk to their fates – they were her people, her friends, her family and she had just left. It didn't fit what he knew of the self-sacrificing witch; shouldn't she be working furiously on the Other Side to reverse the damage he had inflicted? Shouldn't she be present and accounted assisting the desperate little band of hold outs? He had thought he knew her, thought that he could predict her actions, he had been sure that she and her little band would bend to his will and he would, at long last, finally claim victory over Qetsiyah.

"Try again," he ordered coolly. He knew of course that it wasn't going to work, the witch had followed every step precisely, enunciated each word perfectly and it hadn't worked, so clearly making her try again would garner the same results – none. What was it they said about the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results? He resolved that this would be the last time, after her next failure he would drain her dry.

Minutes later Sophie's appointed time of death arrived, but annoying to the last she held up her hand and begged for a moment, her mind working overtime, moving from thoughts so quickly he had difficulty keeping up. Her eyes widened briefly and then she bought herself a reprieve, "does she have any relatives in town?"

"She had a father," he advised, not able to gleam exactly what she was thinking.

"Can you get some of his blood?" she was verging on excited.

He found it quite disconcerting, if he was honest, where was she going? "A location spell?" he queried.

"Yes," she breathed the answer out, as though afraid of it.

He briefly looked her up and down, reflecting that the bohemian look she was going for was coming off more like bag lady. It was possible he'd spent a little too much time in Caroline's company, he mused, now clearly not the best time to be considering fashion choices...or lack thereof. The considered the suggestion, her last opportunity to redeem herself in his eyes, last chance to prove she was worthy of living – he couldn't help but think that it would fell short, location spell were amateur hour and just how would locating Bennett's spirit help matters? He needed to talk to the witch and encourage her in the most forceful of manners to start making every effort to turn his dreams into reality.

Still, perhaps the location spell would connect the two witches however briefly, and allow the Bennett witch to witness the last moments of Sophie's disappointing existence. He moved towards a cupboard on the far side of the room, removed a vile and handed it to her with a wink. Rather than showing the appreciation he felt he was deserved, she gulped nervously. He reflected that might have been due to his threatening to decapitate her some time earlier in the evening, or sensing that he was planning on killing her in the immediate future, or perhaps she simply didn't like him. In any case, it didn't really matter in the grand scheme of things so he let it go. Not too long after Sophie once again failed to deliver the goods, a grin stretched itself across his face.

"Perhaps I need a new witch," he pondered aloud and watched her pale considerably.

"Wait, there's one last thing," she begged.

He almost couldn't be bothered allowing her yet another reprieve, but then he thought why the hell not? What did another few minutes matter? It wasn't like he had anything else to do at that precise moment, not feeling over inclined to go wandering through the underground caves or the through the never ending woodlands to locate the band of misfits until morning at least. Besides, he wasn't hungry in the slightest more people made deposits for his personal blood bank than they did for any other in the state. He was positively sloshing around.

"It worked!" she screeched, relief all over her face.

He hadn't bothered to pay attention, lost in his imaginings of how best to kill her, "what worked exactly?"

"The spell, the location spell; it worked," she told him happily.

Just because he was a mind reader didn't mean he always knew what people were thinking, plus how helpful was it really to know the location of an ethereal being whose location would change with a mere thought. "So?"

"Oh," her words huffing out, "well she's near New Orleans, just outside in fact."

"Well, that's good to know. Useless as it is," he stepped towards her slowly, a devilish smile claiming his features having just decided that a slow death would work for him.

She looked confused for a moment, then her eyes widened briefly and of all things laughter spilled out of her throat. He'd had enough of her at that point, he'd had enough of her a long time before; so he was on her a moment later holding her in the air by her throat abandoning his plans to take it slow, contemplating whether to drain her or remove her head.

Her laughter turned to choking and he immediately knew he preferred her this way. "Pleeease…you don't…undersst…" she managed to get out her hands desperately trying to loosen his hold.

A deep sigh exited his mouth, and though sure he would regret it, he allowed her just enough slack in order to continue speaking.

"She's alive, that's why it didn't work, we were trying to contact the dead and she's alive," the words flooded out of her.

He dropped her like a sack of potatoes. "Bonnie Bennett is alive?" it took everything in him not to laugh manically and steeple his fingers like a movie villain.

Sophie nodded holding her throat with her hands. "Yes, the map," she pointed.

He felt like all his Christmases had come at once, and when you considered he'd spent two thousand years in a tomb that was one hell of feeling.

* * *

One moment he had had Caroline safe in his arms, leaning against him as though it was the most natural thing in the world, holding on to him as though he was her world, like he already occupied that pride of place in her heart and thoughts he could only dream of. Never in his long life had he been so at peace, never had he been so happy, and then with another's utterance of her name, it had ended. Bonnie Bennett leaped back into existence, taking his place in Caroline's arms.

He couldn't help but direct an angry glare in what he took to be the black-eyed bitch's direction, no doubt in his mind that the inconvenient timing of the witch's resurrection was deliberate and likely to her great amusement. If he were capable he would have taken great pleasure in ending her existence in that moment, sending the woman to her oblivion – there was no Afterlife for its guardians.

After a few minutes seething in his jealousy and anger watching the two woman clinging to each other as though their lives depended on it, Caroline turned back to him her eyes shining with tears but practically radiating joy and he felt his lips turn up into a smile, as quick as page turn his mood was again light. Not for the first time he despaired of the power she held over him, no one had ever been able to dissipate his anger with a smile, he imagined that she could manage it with much less.

"We should get going," he told them both and stepped in the direction of the car. He held his breath when Caroline took his hand in hers, expelling it when her other hand latched on to the witch's.

"I missed you so much," she breathed out, wide smile still clear across her profile.

Klaus wanted the words to be directed at him, but suspected they were directed at the witch. Still, a warm feeling spread throughout his body and had anyone been looking they would have noted that for the briefest of moments his smile stretched almost as wide as hers. Then of course he reasserted control of his features, beating back the smile and assuming his more comfortable smirk. He could not be as unguarded in front of Bonnie as he was with Caroline; he had an audience now and would act accordingly, yet he did not go so far as to retrieve his hand. He could not bring himself to end contact that she gave so freely, she who rarely touched him previously.

Everything had gone downhill when they reached the car, Caroline had opted to ride in the back seat with her resurrected friend - neither surprising nor greatly concerning for him- then commenced telling them both what had happened since her abrupt departure from Mystic Falls. Klaus got the distinct impression that she wasn't telling them everything, but what she did share got his blood boiling, especially when she narrated her encounter with Hayley. He promised himself that the werewolf's end would become a thing of legend. Shortly after Caroline had finished her tale of woe, the witch had expressed the desire to be taken to the nearest airport, because apparently one death wasn't enough for the woman, she was hell bent on returning to Mystic Falls to meet her second.

Again, neither surprising nor greatly concerning for him, except that Caroline wouldn't hear of the witch returning by herself and insisted that she needed to go along, which was completely out of the question.

"Klaus, she needs to go back and she can't go alone," Caroline pleaded yet again.

His eyes found hers in the rear view mirror, "I said no, love."

Caroline huffed and turned her head to look out the window, mumbling something so lowly even he couldn't catch it, not that he thought he'd actually like to hear whatever vile names he was sure she was calling him. Bonnie moved forward between the seats to get his attention.

" _I_  have to go," she said, her eyes boring into his, some unnamed anger deep within them.

Clearly whatever Silas was up to in Mystic Falls was deeply unpleasant and the witch was obviously all too aware of it. Klaus wondered briefly why she didn't just come out and say it, didn't tell Caroline why it was that she had to return, but when Bonnie's eyes shifted to Caroline with an uneasy expression he understood, the witch didn't want her to go either. He nodded his understanding and with a fleeting smile Bonnie moved back to her seat. "I'll have someone take  _you_ ," he advised.

Caroline's head snapped back. "You mean take  _us_?" she demanded.

"No sweetheart, I mean take her, you are coming with me," he told her in no uncertain terms.

"You can't tell me what to do," she sneered with her arms crossed, the image of a child determined to get her way.

He pulled the car over and turned the moment it stopped piercing her with a dark glare, "I was told to protect you and I will. You are coming with me Caroline, end of discussion."

"Look I know you have  _responsibilities_  and all," she said in a bitter tone of unknown origin, "but  _I_  have to go with Bonnie," her tone turned imploring.

He continued to stare into her eyes, unmoved by her plea, wondering what she meant by  _responsibilities_.

Her teeth were worrying over her bottom lip, she silently held his gaze, he could see the wheels turning as she tried to think of some way to sway him. He was confident she would not be successful, but like so many times in the past she surprised him.

"Katherine is human," seemingly involuntarily her hand moved towards her mouth as though it wished to retrieve the words.

Klaus didn't visibly react to the words, he schooled his features in an uncaring mask of indifference, but he was anything but. With the witches no longer under Marcel's yoke it was a foregone conclusion that the repressed would rebel; they would try to wrestle control from the vampires, who wouldn't be inclined to denounce their thrones, it was going to escalate – quickly - there was going to be a war. A human Katherine meant he could make a new Hybrid army, an army which he needed more now than ever before, an army that could help him reclaim his kingdom. She was clever his girl.

"Caroline you can't come," Bonnie's panicked voice interrupted their staring contest.

He watched as a surprised expression spread across her pretty face and she turned to her friend, "what?"

"You need to do what Connie told you, she sounds dangerous," the witch was grasping.

Caroline seemed to realize it, "why don't you want me to go? Is something happening?"

Bonnie hesitated before shaking her head, "no, nothing's happening. Connie said you were a target though, so you shouldn't go home, that's the first place people will look."

Klaus watched as Caroline's eyes narrowed, "you're lying to me." She turned to Klaus, "why is she lying to me?"

He didn't respond, his expression stony. The silence stretched out, no one seemed willing to break it. Klaus watched as her eyes moved rapidly between the two of them, and then suddenly she was staring past him.

"It's obvious," she said it quietly, so quietly he doubted the witch had heard.

Her eyes snapped between the two of them, "Silas, this is about Silas."

A few horrid moments of silence more and then she nodded her head as though answering a question she didn't speak out loud and then he watched the tears forming as realization hit her. "Oh my god, Stefan," her mouth hung open. She shook her head and then she turned to Bonnie her voice pleading now. "Tell me he's okay."

Bonnie sighed, "I don't know, we didn't even realize my dying had released him until he came back from looking for you."

Klaus had a sudden desire to drain the witch dry, he swore he could hear the orchestra warming up to play the death march in honor of the end of Caroline's small regard for him.

"He came looking for me?" she seemed half way between horrified and pleased.

Probably because he was now desperate for the witch to shut up, she continued talking, "yes, Damon thought he went to New Orleans to see Klaus."

Caroline's eyes were back on him, accusing, "where is Stefan?"

There could be no doubt she had connected the dots, he sighed, "I suspect Stefan is at the bottom of the falls."

"You  _suspect_?" she huffed angrily clearly on the verge of exploding at him.

There was only one way to salvage the situation now. A topic change was in order, "where is Katherine?"

"She's with the others, deep in the woods in one of the old hunting cabins," Bonnie answered.

He turned around, started the car and got them back on the road, all too aware of her burning gaze drilling into the back of his head. "Well then, I suppose we shall have to go get her." He spoke softly.

"No," Bonnie yelped out. "I have to go back, but you can't take Caroline."

It took no more than a second for Caroline to move herself from the back to the passenger seat; his eyes once again meet hers.

"And Stefan," she said, pointedly ignoring Bonnie.

"And Stefan," he confirmed and was rewarded with a smile. Crisis averted, he turned his attention back to the road.

"Klaus!" Bonnie screeched from the back.

"She goes where I go," he told her, voice stern.


	16. Chapter 16

Elena wasn't happy, in fact she was downright miserable, it wasn't just losing her two best friends and discovering that Silas had replaced Stefan for the last few months either, she was miserable because the original doppelgänger bitch was making her miserable. At every turn Katherine was there with a snide remark, a gloating look - she was a constant annoyance impossible to escape, trapped as they were.

Damon was having homicidal urges; he wanted to end Katherine so much he had started dreaming about it, his hands around her neck closing off her airways, his fingers bursting through her chest wrapping around her heart…well you get the idea. Everything in his being wanted to destroy her, but she was their bargaining chip, their one and only "get out of jail free" card with the Originals and considering that they had been run out of their own town and were now hiding out in the wilderness sans Blondie and Witchy, they had to keep her among the living. So there could be no ripping out the traitorous bitch's throat, no matter how insufferable she got, and boy was she insufferable. No surprise there, Katherine was only too aware of her further elevated status post Blondie, so she made their lives unpleasant in the extreme.

He had tried to compel her into submission, but somehow she had gotten hold of vervain and as much as he would have loved to restrain her until it was out of her system she'd proven exceedingly good at slinking out of ropes and gone so far as to cut her own wrists in what she called "protest at their inhumane treatment". It was annoying to no end that the woman was still able to hold them to ransom weakened though she was. It was no wonder she had managed to outrun Klaus for 500 years, the woman was an evil genius and Damon despised her. Not nearly half as much as Elena did though, anger was leaching out of her in streams each and every moment they were forced to keep company which, it had been quickly established, could not ever be in a one on one capacity as Elena's control was questionable to say the least.

"You really are the poorest excuse for a vampire I have ever seen," Katherine was at it again, and Damon tightened his grip around Elena's waist as she tensed as though about to pounce. "Why is it that the dull endure? This place would be a more bearable prison if say Caroline was here in your stead, where is she again?" she smirked, and Damon was forced to drag a hissing Elena outside. "Tootles," her gloating voice drifted into their departing ears.

"I'm going to kill her, I don't care anymore," Elena snarled trying to get free of his death grip.

"Ordinarily I'd be all in favour, but in case you forgot if we don't want to spend eternity out here in the back of beyond we need the bitch. Just imagine the satisfaction of handing her over to the Original freak, so she can spend the rest of her miserable life as his personal blood bag," he smiled running a finger across her check as she relaxed against him.

"What if he doesn't come?"

"Please! So not gonna happen," he held her in a comforting embrace. Truth was, he had his doubts that the Big Bad was coming to the rescue, when they had spoken to Elijah he had gotten the distinct impression that the man didn't believe his brother would be interested, the only assurance he had given was that he would pass their message on. He didn't know what was going on in New Orleans, but he didn't see why it was more important than stopping the most deadly vampire on the planet and not just because said vampire appeared intent upon hunting them down. It was only a matter of time before he found them, and then what? They were no match for him; their only witch was not only dead, but now incommunicado. If there was a confrontation they wouldn't survive it, not unless Silas wanted them to.

Damon had never felt more powerless, this was a threat he wasn't equipped to fight, and though Klaus had not proved overly adept at that either he had access to resources they could only dream about. What they needed was a miracle, but he'd settle for a little Original help and he'd even take it without a single snide remark. Lately, there wasn't a lot to be snide about.

He was loathe to admit it but he missed Elena's best friends, he hadn't exactly been overly concerned about their presence in the past, rarely sparing them a thought unless their assistance was required or they happened to be right in front of him – it was always Elena, after all. But knowing that he would never see them again, unless he made an unscheduled stop to the Other Side, had made him realise that they had each craved themselves out a place in his world which now lay empty. Damon hadn't always liked them, he'd been rather keen on killing both of them at various times during their acquaintance, yet they were … whatever they were, it didn't matter any longer. Mourning the dead was a waste of energy.

Elena was still among the living dead and his brother needed saving,  _again_. He wasn't going to be up for brother of the year, that's for sure. Hindsight was a bitch, looking back over their interactions the last few months it was obvious the pod people had taken over his brother, yet at the time he'd attributed the glaring differences to sore feelings over losing the love of his life. Maybe he saw what he wanted to see, maybe he was too consumed with Elena, or maybe Silas had gotten into his head. Regardless, his brother had been missing for months and he hadn't noticed – guilt wasn't a strong enough word for how he was feeling about that.

"Feel like hunting some cute little bunnies?" he asked her.

Her nose crinkled in the cutest way and he indulged his urge to lightly kiss the tip of it, his smile became that little bit more genuine. Stefan's bunny diet wasn't agreeable, to either of them, but they were out of blood bags, out of choices and running dangerously close to being out of luck.

"Do I have a choice?" she sounded sour, Katherine-like.

"Bambi?" her expression didn't change, "Slim pickings gorgeous."

"Let's just go," she moved towards the surrounding woods, he was about to follow when he heard it. Damon flashed to her side and pulled her back towards the hut his hand covering her mouth. Someone was coming, by the sound of it a large group of "someones" who weren't being quiet about it. A twig snapped and he turned and in the same movement drew the gun and fired, he knew vervain soaked wooden bullets wouldn't stop Silas, but for all their sakes he hoped they would slow him down. In the latest of his forms Silas' big blue eyes widened in shock.

* * *

Things had not gone according to plan, which was surprising because there really hadn't been much in the way of a plan to go wrong. Go back to Mystic Falls, rescue Stefan, collect her mother and friends, avoid Silas and get the hell out of dodge before the flood gates of hell opened up and swallowed them all. Simple really, yet it had all gone wrong.

Bonnie hadn't wanted her to go. From the moment Klaus had agreed to go back and she had jumped into the seat beside him Bonnie's mood had nose-dived, in fact her eyes seemed determined to retain their glaring aspect, Caroline could feel them boring into the back of her head. It hadn't fazed her in the slightest, the last time Bonnie had gone off on her own she'd gotten herself killed, no way was Caroline going to allow an encore. The witch couldn't be trusted to act in her own best interests, so she'd endure the heat of disapproval, she'd endure a lot of things, and she would make damn sure that Bonnie Bennett witch extraordinaire left Mystic Falls alive and well. The town wouldn't claim her life a second time, it wasn't going to happen.

And if the biggest moron on the planet tried to drag them into another idiotic plan in which all and sundry had to be sacrificed so that Elena slept better at night, she'd be snapping his neck in record time and they'd be back in New Orleans before he hit the ground, even with the extra time it would take to gag and bind Bonnie who really was far too inclined to fall for that crap. Still considering how everything had ended up in the crapper she wondered if her witch Bestie had worked some magic in attempt to get her way that yet again had resulted in unexpected consequences.

The road trip, excepting the evil eye and chilly atmosphere, hadn't been go bad, and when Klaus pointing out that there was a private air strip not too far off which would offer a more discreet, and frankly easier option to return to Mystic Falls than trying to get a dead girl through security at a major airport it seemed like everything would go well. Even the welcoming committee had been a blessing in disguise.

"Caroline Forbes," her tall muscular savour from the swamp had greeted her when they rolled up to the tarmac.

"Hello again," she responded while trying to remove Klaus' death grip on her arm as he pushed her behind him with a low but audible growl.

"You know him," Klaus asked, not taking his eyes off the man.

"Sort of, he was part of the team that rescued me from the witches," she still couldn't get her arm free. "Seriously Klaus get off," she huffed.

Klaus turned his head till their eyes meet, "you'll stay behind me." With that order he granted her the use of her arm.

"What do you want?" he asked tall and muscular.

"She told us to keep an eye on Miss Forbes."

"Us?" Caroline interjected. She hadn't sensed anyone else.

"David and Adam are in the plane, I'm Gabriel," and with that he turned walking towards a jet on the tarmac, engines clearing running.

Without a word Bonnie had marched off after him.

"Come on Klaus," she pulled at his arm.

"Sweetheart, are you sure you want to go back?" he asked turning to face her switching from psycho Hybrid Original to Mr Perfect in a breath. His fingers trailed along her jaw and she almost gave into the desire to lean in to them before she remembered that Tyler was waiting for her and he was having a baby with the were-slut, correction, considering the period of her captivity the cow should have made him a daddy by now – there was something equal parts disturbing and hilarious with the image of Daddy Klaus. She turned her head away from his fingers and moved to step around him. "Caroline," he breathed out her name, caressed every syllable.

"I'm going with Bonnie," she told him icily. His eyes widened briefly, a flash of hurt, and then the cold mask he wore like Elijah did suits was back in place. Caroline flashed into the jet and sat herself down next to Bonnie despite the never-ending glare of disapproval, she briefly wondered if Damon's nickname for the witch was well earned.

Gabriel, sitting across from her, had smiled holding out his hand, "pleasure to formally meet you Miss Forbes." She had taken the offered hand and a strange feeling had come over her, she smelt sage, peppermint and … dirty feet?

"Valerian," another man spoke from behind her, she turned giving him a questioning look. "It's a herb, smells like feet. I'm David, by the way."

Caroline felt a shiver travel up her spine as their eyes meet; David eyes were a dark brown, his smile warm and friendly, but there was something off about him and not just because he appeared to have Silas like mind-reading powers.

He continued on as though he hadn't noticed she was staring at him as though he had two heads, "Gabe's a witch; the herb's associated with witchcraft."

She made no reply, just continued to stare at him, unconsciously running her hand up and down her arm whilst biting her lower lip. Images flashed before her eyes, strange visions of people and places she did not know, they consumed her. She hadn't noticed that the jet had lifted off, hadn't felt Bonnie pulling at her arm, nor even when two strong arms had lifted her from her seat and deposited her in another. But when the brown eyes were replaced with blue-green his stern voice broke through the haze, "Caroline." He commanded her back to herself.

"It's most likely a by-product of her blood," Gabe's voice intruded.

"Will it pass?" Bonnie's voice had enquired.

No one had answered. From there things had gone from bad to worse, everyone had seemed on edge, well everyone except Klaus who had gone into evil Hybrid mode. Prior to allowing her to enter the woods Klaus had given her strict instructions, she wasn't to go off by herself, she was to remain within ten feet of him at all times, she was to stay at the back of their party, she wasn't to make a sound, she wasn't to so much as breathe without his explicit permission as though she was some defenceless child devoid of common sense. Bonnie had withdrawn the evil eye and given her a sympathetic smile which turned into a grimace as Klaus had advised the rules applied to her as well.

They had entered the woods as a group, Klaus leading, David and Adam on the flanks, Bonnie and herself in the middle, and Gabe bringing up the rear. Despite her orders she'd made no special effort to move quietly, her petulance was shared by Bonnie who seemed intent on making as much noise as possible until Klaus had turned and threatened to take them back to the car - her with a snapped neck and Bonnie hog tied – at which point they reluctantly obliged him. They had moved through the woods at human pace until Klaus suddenly stopped, cocking his head as though he heard something, he turned looking behind them and a hint of worry flashed through his eyes. He grabbed Bonnie by the arm and pushed Caroline forward with a whispered "Run."

She waited only long enough to see Adam grab a hold of Gabe and flash away before she was running as fast as she was able. Before too long she crashed through the trees and found herself in a clearing, in the second it took her to recognise the people before her she came to an abrupt stop, she opened her mouth in shock for a moment lost for words and in that moment Damon turned and she found herself looking down the barrel of a gun, she had watched in stunned silence as he depressed the trigger not once, but multiple times.

Caroline had only enough time to hope he'd miss anything vital before her vision was blocked by a black clad back. When it moved Damon was being thrown across the clearing by an enraged Klaus and Elena was crying hysterically. She stepped forward only to have an arm impede her progress, David and Adam stood at her sides both holding swords reminiscent of the ones Connie and she had sparred with, but straight and long. She sensed that Bonnie and Gabe were behind her, clearly guarding her back. Her eyes roamed over the sword wielding backs and then the ground beneath David's feet, there was no blood and she wondered if he wore some kind of vest or if he had stopped the bullets some other way.

Her attention was drawn from her idle thoughts to the unwelcome sight of Klaus' hand digging into Damon's chest with clear intent.

"Klaus no!" she yelled and, as though they had all been doused in ice cold water, everyone froze - all eyes turning towards her. "Let him go," she instructed in a firm voice.

For a moment he looked mutinous, but then he complied and dropped Damon to the ground. Elena rushed to his side and helped him to his feet, before her dole-like eyes refocused, fleeting between her two best friends in obvious confusion. Before the brunette could say a word, Klaus spoke again, "we need to move, someone is following us."

Jeremy and Matt picked this moment to exit the hut with a horrified looking Katherine in their wake. Klaus managed a decidedly evil looking smirk in the original doppelganger direction before flashing to her side and grabbing hold of her arm. "Miss me?" he purred and she visibly shuddered in response. Caroline felt sorry for her, but then she remembered that time she was suffocated with a pillow and thought better of it.

"How are you…" Elena's wavering voice filled the clearing as she stepped towards them.

"Another time," Klaus cut her off. "Caroline, take Bonnie and go." His tone told her she shouldn't waste time so she grabbed Bonnie and flashed away only stopping when they reached a road. David and Gabe stopped beside them, followed shortly by Adam with Matt, Damon with Jeremy, Klaus with Katherine and finally Elena all on her lonesome. Caroline decided she had to remember to ask David and Adam exactly what they were and then it occurred to her that their group was not complete.

"Where's my mother? Where's Tyler?"


	17. Chapter 17

Silas had never doubted that she would return, not since he had learned of her miraculous return to the land of the living, but knowing that she would didn't make the wait a more tolerable experience. He'd thought desiccating for two thousand years was boring, waiting for the teenager to return was insufferably so, of course he only had himself to blame for that what with turning the whole town into his mindless minions keeping only Sophie the wet rag for company. He missed his little blonde ray of sunshine, he was almost tempted to make the Hybrid bring her back to him, he was sorely tempted.

His phone, well Stefan's if one was being tedious, had rung just as he was contemplating eating a local. He offered no greeting, waited silently for the person to speak and they had not disappointed, reporting that his long wait was over - the witch had landed though not alone. Whilst one of his new slaves had delivered the good news, their companion had e-mailed photos which yet another had quickly printed and handed to him all before the first the conversation had ended. The first photo was a close up of Bonnie Bennett's face, the resolution wasn't fantastic yet he imagined she was staring back at him, goading. He felt energized, purpose spreading through his veins, he was so close. He tossed the photo's aside and would have left them were they fell had he not glimpsed familiar waves of blonde hair. The remaining photos contained the rest of the group and Caroline was among them, he was at first elevated that she had returned, but it faded quickly into annoyance. She wasn't supposed to come back; the Hybrid wasn't doing a good job of protecting her. Still, they had brought the witch with them and one shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Sophie, we have somewhere to be," he called out, sniggering to himself as he heard her quietly grumble laboring under the misconception he couldn't hear her. In short order she dragged herself to the door and they made the trip to the car together. Having directed her to the driver's side he climbed into the passenger seat, readying himself for the maddeningly long drive, he never would understand why any of the vampire breed that followed him bothered with any other form of transport than their feet, but being unfortunately bereft of such ability himself he was forced travel as all such unfortunates not blessed with natural speed.

"Head out of town, we are going for a stroll in the woods," he advised. Sophie was quick to comply, the quality time they had spent together had encouraged her to be prompt to follow his direction.

In twice the time it would have taken a vampire to run there, they arrived at their destination, he was out of the car before it had stopped moving. He grabbed Sophie from the driver's seat the moment she had cut the ignition.

"Time to hunt, remember why I allow you remain among the living," he advised her before delving into the woods in the direction his minions' thoughts indicated, dragging his reluctant companion with him. He suppressed a smile recalling Caroline advising him in all seriousness that all good villains had to have minions. Silas' spirits soared as he raced through the woods, dragging Sophie with him, he could acknowledge – at least in his head – that it wasn't just because he was a step closer to winning his two thousand year old war; it was the thought of seeing her again.

And then, quicker than he would have expected, there was a flash of blonde in his peripheral vision. His lips lifted in an involuntary smile before he stopped, a finger going to his lips to indicate that Sophie should remain silent and unmoving, he left her and raced towards the flash of blonde a giddy feeling spreading through his body. It was strange that she should have such an effect upon him, she was not his forever girl after all was said and done, yet she had carved out a place for herself in his heart and he was happy to see her again despite the circumstances of their meeting. The knowledge that she would find no joy in his company could not damper his mood, not in this moment.

He reached out with his mind, pressing himself towards her sunshine, at the moment of contact he felt himself deflate, his mood turning dark. Without thinking he moved, stopped the blonde's progress towards him like a concrete wall would a car, sudden and deadly. His hand pinched into her neck as he slammed her against a tree, her blue eyes were wide and searching. Similar to those he had hoped to meet, yet so very different, and oh so very disappointing.

"Well hello again, where's your brother hiding?" he lessened the pressure on her neck just enough for her to answer, but before she could another butted in.

"I'm right here," the calm cool voice replied.

Silas turned his attention to the man now standing behind him, "let's not pretend you don't know to whom I was referring Elijah."

"Let her go," the elder Original continued in his deceptively calm voice.

"Let's also not pretend you don't know who holds the power here. Where is Klaus?" he didn't like repeating himself, but neither Original was careless with their thoughts. There was only so long someone, even an Original could deny him, but they were trying and for at time succeeding.

In the distance he heard Sophie approaching, he'd have been frustrated at her inability to do as instructed if not for the fact that her noisy progress through the woods also managed to distract both Originals, a momentary lapse in concentration and he had his answer. He was not pleased; only too aware that his prey had likely used the time he'd been delayed by the two Originals to get far enough away to escape him. He threw Rebekah head first into another tree five feet away; the resounding sound of her neck snapping doing nothing to stem his growing rage, driving a tree branch into Elijah's chest didn't do too much for him either. Had he two white oak stakes, he'd have slammed one into each of their hearts, and still it wouldn't have been enough.

As the two Originals skin graying in death too temporary to satisfy his boiling fury, Sophie broke through the trees and stepped towards him.

Silas found some respite in draining her dry; in the moment before her heart stopped beating he thought he heard a scream in the distance.

* * *

One moment she had been in having a somewhat embarrassing temper tantrum on the road side and the next she had found herself once again on the replica couch in the copy of her mother's living room. Caroline didn't understand how she had gotten there; she had been in the woods with her friends, they had found them, but her mother wasn't with them. Tyler wasn't with them.

They were supposed to be with them, weren't they? Her thoughts were muddled, slow, she had difficulty recalling what had happened, she cast her mind back trying to piece together the chain of events. They were in the woods, her mother and Tyler were missing, and then…

_"Where's my mother, where's Tyler?" she had asked, her voice rising in alarm. Silence greeted her question, eyes shifted avoiding meeting hers and she felt as though the sky was falling. Breaths she didn't require became harsh, labored, she felt faint._

_Damon broke the silence, "Tyler is fine Caroline; he left."_

_The words should have been comforting, but they had no effect upon her – it still felt as though she was plummeting, fate taking yet another bite out of her ass. Elena's eyes meet hers at that moment, brown eyes filled with sympathy and sadness. If Tyler was fine, then…what had happened to her mother? An all-consuming panic took over, tears flowed freely down her cheeks, she tried to regain control, she really did, but she couldn't. Her legs failed her and she was falling, strong arms caught her and she clung to them as the shipwrecked would a life boat._

_"My mother," she moaned out, more a plea than a question._

_"We don't think she's dead," Damon offered up with his usual tact._

_"Caroline, we need to go," Klaus told her, his voice calm._

_She turned towards his voice, only then discovering that it was his arms that held her._

_"No, I cannot leave," her voice was too high, too panicked. "I have to get her back, I can't leave her," her volume progressively increased, she tried to rise pushing him from her but he didn't release her._

_"Let me go!" she screamed at him. She had to go, why couldn't he understand that?_

_His jaw had clinched, she could hear his teeth grinding together, he had looked past her as though seeing something in the distance, she had turned to follow his gaze._

She could recall nothing else; the obvious conclusion was that at that point someone – Klaus - had snapped her neck. Still that didn't explain why she was back in Connie's domain or how she had gotten there.

"You're dead," Connie's voice interrupted her addled thinking.

"Uh...what?" she forced herself to focus on the black eyed woman who had appeared before her.

"You are no doubt wondering how you got here, you are here because you were killed, hence you being dead."

"No, I'm not," the inner five-year-old brat dictated her tone of voice.

"Temporarily of course," Connie gave her another of those small smiles. "We are connected you and I, so when Klaus snapped your neck instead of being trapped within your dead body as those of your kind are want to do, you sought greener pastures or rather something of a more stimulating variety than hanging around in limbo."

"Sometimes when you talk I feel like my head is about to explode," sadly this was one of those times, understanding was coming slowly, her brain wasn't working as it should be. She guessed being dead had its drawbacks.

"You were not supposed to go to Mystic Falls Caroline," the smile disappeared.

"Bonnie needed to go and I couldn't let her go by herself. Besides my mother is...what happened to my mother?" she felt the panic rising to the forefront again.

"She isn't dead, and it is unlikely your friend Silas will make her so," Connie said with conviction.

"He isn't my friend, he was pretending to be Stefan," Caroline turned away from the searching black eyes.

Truth was she wasn't really sure about Silas, he seemed like the most evil creature on the planet, but so had Klaus at first. And though she wasn't exactly feeling overly generous towards the Hybrid at the present time – snapping unsuspecting necks was just plain rude - she was friends with him now, so maybe being friends with Silas wasn't outside the realm of possibilities. Then again, he didn't have a sexy accent and puppy dog eyes.

"I know what you are thinking, this conversation is happening in your head after all."

"Nobody likes a know it all," she stopped herself from sticking out her tongue, just.

"You don't need to like me," Connie advised in a bored tone.

"Just as well," she was aware she was being childish, she just didn't care.

"Delightful," Connie smirked. "Now, as our time is limited I suggest we put it to better use. I take it that you are reluctant to leave Miss Bennett in Mystic Falls?"

Caroline nodded her head in agreement.

"Well then, we have a problem Caroline, you don't want to leave Miss Bennett and as it stands she will not be allowed to leave Mystic Falls which is not where I need you to be," which made Caroline wonder why Connie  _needed_ her to be in New Orleans.

Caroline opened her mouth to speak, to ask why it was so important that she reside in NOLA, but Connie raised a hand indicating she should remain silent. "Your presence is required in New Orleans; therefore I will assist you with your witch problem."

"How?" she felt a smile creep onto her face.

"Silas wants the Bennett witch to destroy the Other Side and assist him in recreating the cure," Connie paused as though expecting an interruption. When none was forthcoming, "he hopes to then take the cure and join his love in the Afterlife."

Caroline didn't really see the point in wasting time stating the obvious; her brain was running slow, but not that slow. Still she managed to let it go.

"This will not happen," Connie spoke as though it was already decided.

"Riiiight," she raised her brows waiting for Connie to continue. "And…?"

"You are laboring under a misconception. Tell me Caroline, what do you know of the origin of witchcraft?"

"A mind reader would know already," she smirked.

Connie's black eyes locked on hers, clearly unimpressed.

"Fine," she huffed. "I can't say I've studied the history of the Witchy race, I've spent the majority of my vampire existence fighting the badie of the week, and trying desperately not to become a red shirt."

"Prior to Qetsiyah's spell expression was widespread, it was in fact the only way to practice if a witch wished to do anything of real consequence. Following it magic changed and witches began to harness the energy of the spirits of those that went before them – expression was consigned to the fringes, considered dark and objectionable. Hardly surprising when you consider what judgmental holier- than-thou creatures witches are," she paused again, a wry smile crossing her face. "I digress. The point is Qetsiyah's spell created the current order, or the balance as they've taken to calling it; it trapped her kind on the Other Side. "

"So then, you're saying she didn't create the Other Side?"

"Indeed," with an approving nod.

"If that's the case, why doesn't Silas just reverse her spell? Why destroy the Other Side?" Connie didn't answer, so she continued, "Because he's afraid that even if he reverses her spell and cures himself he will still end up there…will he?"

"He cannot control what he didn't create," was the helpful reply.

"Is that a yes or what?" Caroline's patience was at an all-time low, it didn't help that her brain was still somewhat foggy.

"The Afterlife is barred to him."

She felt as though she had been given an electric shock. "Regardless of if the Other Side exists or not?" she knew the answer already, but felt compelled to ask.

"Naturally," Connie nodded once confirming her words in motion.

"But then…what will happen if the Other Side is destroyed and he dies?" she had a horrible feeling she knew the answer to this as well.

"He will cease to exist."

"And what happens to everyone else?" Caroline knew her voice was getting dangerously high.

"They will share his fate," Connie coolly intoned.

"But Jenna didn't go there," she felt like she was hanging from a cliff by her fingernails.

"There are exceptions to any rule, but they are few and far between."

And it was unlikely that any of her friends would be in that category, they weren't likely to be up for sainthood. Jenna had died essentially innocent; none of them could claim the same. Silas would destroy them all. "Ho..How do we stop it?"

"You could kill Miss Bennett," Caroline glared at her in response. "Or you can present to Silas an offer."

She couldn't help but feel as though she walked straight into a trap, "what offer?"

"He can choose the manner in which his war with Qetsiyah ends. He can continue living, or he can die."

"But if he dies he'll go to the Other Side," she wondered how Connie thought that was an offer.

"No, if he chooses to die, he will cease to exist," Connie turned from her as though something else had garnered her attention. "Our time is coming to an end; you will present the offer and then you will go to New Orleans, with or without Miss Bennett."

"I'm not leaving her," she told her with an accompanying sneer.

"That which is given can be taken away," was Connie's cold answer.

Caroline figured they'd get to the threatening part sooner or later, she just hadn't realised how effective it would be. Before Connie faded she found herself nodding in defeat, and then she was opening her eyes finding herself still within those strong arms, but no longer in the woods.

"You snapped my neck," she glared at him, pushing herself from his embrace.

"You were making a scene," he told her softly.

"My mother is missing; what did you expect?" she moved as far from him as the vehicle they were travelling in allowed. He sighed heavily, but made no reply. "Where are we?"

"Near the falls, Damon and company are creating a diversion in town, we are going fishing," he smirked.

Caroline found herself wondering if his child would smirk, or if it had dimples, but she didn't ask him. Instead she turned her head to look out the window; she found the landscape bleak and depressing. Her thoughts still consumed with images of Klaus' offspring, curly blonde hair and blue eyes in a cherub face with dimples – that was something she would never be a part of, could never be a part of. She didn't know why it consumed her so, she had never believed there was a future for Klaus and her, had never hoped as he did that they would spend an eternity together. She recalled how enraged she had felt when Hayley had told her, she hadn't understood it, she still didn't.

There was absolutely no reason why she should care that Hayley and Klaus had sex let alone that a child was the result of it. She shouldn't care, but couldn't convince herself not to, couldn't stop the cherub baby images from floating through her head. More worrying she couldn't help but regret losing that chance at an eternity with a man she had never thought she wanted.

She rested her forehead against the cool window of the vehicle.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Klaus' soft voice drifted from the other side of the back seat.

"I miss Stefan," she said, unable to find the courage to tell him the truth. It wasn't as though there weren't more pressing concerns, it could wait. She still had to tell him what Connie had said after all, but first she would get her best friend back.


	18. Chapter 18

He'd done a lot of stupid things in his time, an awful lot, but he couldn't help thinking his current action would be going straight to the top of the list. The streets were eerily quiet, it was like walking through a ghost town and it was the middle of the day.

"Come out come out wherever you are!" he yelled out in what he considered was bordering suicidal behaviour. He had no doubt Alaric would have hit him upside the head were it within his ghostly abilities; beside him Elena was grimacing her fingernails digging into his arm.

"They just don't make pod people like they used to," he continued in a loud voice.

"Must you always be such a jerk?" Bonnie questioned with her usual accompanying glare.

"Hard to believe I missed you Judgy," he smirked widely.

"Damon," Elena admonished.

He sighed, "Can't be a distraction without anyone to distract."

Plus, spooky town wasn't doing anything for him, he felt like they were wandering around post apocalypse – missing the zombies.

"Any moment now people!" Just how much more obvious could he be?

Elena's nails dug in deeper which he hadn't really thought possible, "Oh my god, look." She pointed to the other side of the square where a solitary figure stood.

"Dad?" Bonnie's voice seemed too loud to his ears, which was strange because her voice was barely above a whisper. She looked utterly undone, as though her heart was in her throat.

He had a bad feeling about this.

She moved forward one step, then another, and yet another in quick succession - just when Damon thought she was on the verge of breaking into a run David had wrapped his arm around her waist holding her back. "Let her go, that's Poppa Witchy."

David shook his head and dragged Bonnie backwards, "Unless he's white and suddenly back from the dead, that isn't her dad."

"Silas," Elena choked out the name.

Damon pushed her behind him and started towards the lone man, as he did so the facade melted away Bonnie's father twisting into that of his brother. He wondered what kind of freak David was that he could see what they did not, but figuring that they would have time for that later he pushed it aside.

"Damon, what are you doing?" Elena's voice was panicked, even as her talons removed themselves from his arm.

"What we're here for beautiful," he smiled over his shoulder at her then continued forward hoping he looked one hell of a lot more confident than he felt.

"Hey buddy, nice day for a stroll," he called out to Silas.

"Glorious," Silas replied smile spread widely across Stefan's face. "Welcome back Miss Bennett, you have been sorely missed."

And the reason Klaus insisted that he and Caroline rescue Stefan from the falls sans Witchy was suddenly clear to him. The big bad Hybrid was clearly only too aware that Silas would go wherever Bonnie did, as though Damon needed another reason to curse the man's existence.

Silas' smile turned into a smirk, clearly only too aware of what Damon was thinking. "I require Miss Bennett's services, the rest of you are free to go."

"I thought you had a witch," Elena interjected.

"I got hungry," Silas responded smirk unmoved. "Now, Miss Bennett; shall we?" he held out his hand.

Damon was over the distraction thing, he just couldn't quite determine how to retreat without ending up with a stake in his chest. Silas cocked his head at that moment, his gaze shifting to the right and it didn't take too long for Damon to figure out why. Like the zombies of the apocalypse the people of Mystic Falls were slowly emerging, a sea of blank faces slowly closing in on them. He recognised a lot of them and judging by Elena and Bonnie's horrified expressions so did they, David on the other hand seemed entirely unmoved, his expression bordering on bored.

Bonnie sighed sounding defeated, "let me go," she intoned to David who Damon noted had not relinquished his hold upon her.

"Yes David, let her go," Silas sneered, smug in his victory.

David's arm loosened around Bonnie's waist, but then he shoved her and Damon found her deposited into his own arms.

"Run," David told them, his voice deadly calm as he drew a sword Damon hadn't even noticed he was carrying and closed the gap between Silas and himself.

Damon hesitated only long enough to see Silas' eyes flash in surprise and wonder if David's thoughts were somehow barred from the ancient vamp before he flashed Bonnie from the bad horror film setting. He was aware of Elena following close behind, but not much else. How long could one, whatever the hell David was, really hold off a two thousand-year old mind reading vampire? Not long, he imagined.

As though in answer he heard someone pursuing them, worryingly catching up, he stopped running passing Bonnie off to Elena when she stopped beside him. "Go," he ordered and turned from them both to face the threat behind.

"Why did you stop?" David asked coming towards him.

Damon took a breath through his teeth, unsure if this was another of Silas' tricks or if the man had somehow gone up against the vamp and not only live to tell the tale but actually gotten the better of him.

"Move Damon, he won't be down for long, and though he cannot move as fast as we can he does have an army of townsfolk at his disposal," David said before he flashed away.

"I'll be damned," Damon had to remember to ask David what the hell he was.

* * *

They had reached the falls without incident for which Klaus was grateful, but for reasons he didn't understand they had also reached them in silence for which he was just annoyed. He wasn't certain what was going on in Caroline's head, but he got the distinct impression she was angry with him and not just because he had snapped her neck in the woods. Her anger was a living breathing entity that crowded the space between them.

The moment the vehicle stopped she was out the door. He was a moment behind her, but rather than joining her at the edge of the Falls he moved to the back of the vehicle opening the trunk to check on Katherine. The doppelgänger greeted him with an unimpressed glare, which was indication enough that she was no worse for wear so he enclosed her in the latest of her prisons smiling at her screeching disapproval.

That done he turned his attention back to the object of his affection; she was waiting with Gabe and Adam in tow looking pensively into the water below. Klaus' breath expelled in an audible sigh, even with her face contorted by worry she was the most exquisite creature he had ever beheld. He mapped the contour of her elegant neck, committing every inch of her to his memory, drinking her in. Not for the first time he wondered if there would come a day when she would look at him the way he looked at her, if one day her thoughts would be consumed by him.

Each day without her, wondering if he would ever have her back in his life, had diminished him. He wanted her to feel as he did, to burn for him too.

Klaus moved to her side, deliberately crowding her space yet she did not react, she stubbornly kept her gaze fixed on the water below as though to spite him. He found her current behaviour exceedingly frustrating, he had an urge to drain someone to sink his teeth into their carotid and suck the life out of them. Few people in this world had such power over him, and had he loved her less...

The longer her passive aggressive silence continued the more infuriating it was, not the least because it was out of character; he was used to her riling against him not retreating into herself. His fingers flexed at his side, he wanted to hold her, to shake her, to throw her across the Falls, whatever it took to force her into some reaction, some interaction.

Gabe's chanting drew him from his thoughts, as the chanting continued he felt the magic building, like a vibration wrenching through his bones. The witch pointed and his eyes followed noting a lighter patch of water visible in that direction, marking the spot where the younger Salvatore lay. Before he could prevent her Caroline dove off the cliff into the watery depths below.

"Bloody hell," he sighed in annoyance as she was the dark water swallowed her. He threw off his shoes, shirt and jeans he followed her. The water was, he could tell, a few degrees lower than the surrounding air, he cut through it quickly, soon catching up with his troublesome blonde and overtaking her to reach that patch of lightness. He dove beneath the surface, down into the depths until he found Stefan's penitentiary, he grabbed the wheel and snapped it open wrenching open the safe door. Caroline joined him in time to pull Stefan free.

Klaus helped her pull the desiccated vampire to the bank; clear of the water, he left her cradling Stefan's head in her lap and signalled the others. Ordinarily he would have flashed them back to the others, but wanted the opportunity to talk with Caroline.

"They'll come soon enough," he told her.

She looked up at him with a quizzical expression, biting her lower lip, "why are we waiting here?"

"Because I want to talk to you," he met her gaze and held it.

"What if I don't want to talk to you?" she looked down at Stefan whose eyes remained closed.

"That would be unfortunate," he paused. "Not to mention unwise."

She glared at him, but said nothing.

He sighed, "What is it that I've done to offend you this time sweetheart?"

Her eyes widened slightly, her teeth continued to worry her lip, so he knew her response was a lie, "Nothing, unless you count snapping my neck which you probably don't."

"I did what was necessary; I won't apologise for it."

She scoffed and turned her attention back to Stefan, "have you ever apologised?"

"Not in recent memory," he informed her, his face blank.

"When dinosaurs roamed the earth then?" she snapped back.

The laugh escaped his throat before he could stop it, he really didn't know why he allowed her to do this to him, pull his humanity to the surface - make him want to.

"Well at least you're talking to me again," he smirked as her eyes flashed back up, burning with anger.

She sighed heavily and closed her eyes for a moment before meeting his gaze again, at the precise moment she opened her mouth to speak Gabe and Adam arrived.

"Wouldn't it have been easier for you to come to us?" Gabe asked them handing Klaus his clothes.

"No doubt," he answered irritated. He threw his clothes back on.

Adam moved forward, four blood bags in his arms which he handed to Caroline before stepping back. The worried expression reclaimed her features as she stared at the blood.

"Couldn't we have gotten animal blood?" her eyes slide back to Stefan's unmoving form.

Gabe looked puzzled, but Adam merely shrugged. Klaus meet the witch's questioning gaze. "Ripper," it was clear the man required no further explanation, his eyes widening as he stepped further back.

Caroline sighed as she ripped open the first of the bags and began pouring the blood into Stefan's open mouth. Klaus watched with amused interest as at the end of the first bag the vampire's eyes shoot open and darkened immediately. This was the Stefan he enjoyed the vampire not afraid of the darkness within, the fun version not wasting his eternal life brooding over things that could not be undone and stuffing his face with cuddly bunnies. After the third bag his colouring had returned to normal and his hands ripped the fourth bag from Caroline's clutches tearing into it with abandon. Then the ripper was on his feet flashing towards the only warm blooded creature, predictably he was back on the ground in record time clutching his head in agony.

Caroline's hands came to rest either side of Stefan's face pulling him up until they were eye to eye, his body relaxed as Gabe released him and held within her gaze he appeared to drag himself back from his blood grazed state. Klaus found it entertaining, but not wanting to fall further out of favour with his favourite blonde he kept his features neutral.

"Stefan," she whispered out his name; the tenderness in her tone made Klaus jealous. The vampire's eyes shifted out of focus darting to Gabe, seemingly fixed on the throbbing artery in the witch's neck. "Stefan," she commanded his attention, her voice firm and unyielding drawing his gaze back to hers. Her hand caressed his cheek and Klaus watched as the vampire closed his eyes leaning in to rest his forehead against hers in an action so intimate it was offensive. His hands itched to tear them apart, to tear him apart.

Obvious to this Caroline continued, her voice soft and soothing, "just breathe, focus on the air moving into your lungs, you're okay, you're going to be okay." She continued speaking words of comfort, continued caressing his cheek with one hand the other moving to back of his neck holding him to her for an uncomfortable amount of time, at least to Klaus it was.

Stefan took a shuttering breath and opened his eyes, black had turned back to hazel; the veins around his eyes had receded. It was clear he was far from in control, but he was clearly trying.

"Caroline," Stefan said softly, his hands moved to cup her face.

Klaus ground his teeth and turned from them to find Adam's eyes fixed upon him, the man's body tight as a spring, clearly anticipating some rash action on Klaus' part. He nodded his head at the man and stepped away moving to stand next to Gabe, Adam moved to stand between them and the two who remained in their embrace on the ground.

Eventually Gabe put an end to the nauseating display, "we need to move, there was trouble in town."

"What do you mean trouble?" Caroline having finally disentangled herself was on her feet with hands on her hips.

"Silas was there, David managed to incapacitate him but he won't be down long and the sword was lost," Gabe whilst answering her question spoke directly to Adam who drew his own sword and nodded.

"Who was in town?" Stefan asked his voice low and sounding strained.

"Your brother, Elena, and Bonnie," Klaus advised, bracing himself as he turned to face Caroline anticipating a vocal lashing.

Her eyes were wide, and though he knew it wasn't really possible for a vampire to pale she seemed whiter somehow. A shudder travelled through her and her breath expelled in a shocked gasp. Once again she had reacted contrary to his expectations, but this time it worried rather than annoyed him. "What?"

"I have to speak to him," she said. "I have to stop him," her eyes found his, a palpable dread within them.

"Don't make me snap your neck again, love," he cautioned.

She shook her head, "you don't understand. Connie told me, I have to speak with him; he has to know…what will happen."

"Who is Connie, and who has to know what?" Stefan asked turning her back to face him, his hand remaining on her shoulder.

She looked lost for a moment, he rather imagined the first question threw her, how did one explain the creature she called Connie? She seemed to recover reaching the logical conclusion to simply ignore the question she was unable to answer and instead responded to the second. "Silas has to know that he cannot destroy the Other Side, if he does," she paused taking an unnecessary breath, "there will be nowhere to go should we die. We will cease to exist, Lexie, Alaric, Kol…all of them will  _die_  die."

Neither Gabe nor Adam reacted, clearly this was not news to them, but it was to Klaus. It did not surprise him that the black-eyed bitch had not shared the information with him, but he was surprised that Caroline had chosen not to tell him. He felt the anger rise within him, why had she remained silent? "This is information you should have shared earlier," he ground the words out.

"Had you broken my neck earlier I would have," she snapped back.

This time Gabe appeared to be as surprised as he was, "you spoke to her when you died?" The witch asked his head cocked to the side.

"Yes," she huffed. "Now can we go? We need to get to him before he finds Bonnie, dire consequences and all that." And with that she headed off in the direction of the car, dragging Stefan by the hand. He followed the pair back to the car and joined them in the back seat; he noted that Caroline hadn't relinquished the vampire's hand.

"So where do you think he is?" she asked when Adam and Gabe had taken their places in the front.

The answer was obvious, Silas would be wherever Bonnie was, but he didn't want to say it out loud - only too aware that Caroline would soon realise that he had hung her friend out to dry.

As it happened Gabe, who had settled into the driver's seat, had come to the same conclusion, "the rendezvous isn't far, with luck we'll get there first."


	19. Chapter 19

"I liked this top," she snapped her eyes narrowed in annoyance.

Elijah didn't respond or react in any way to what she had said, some part of her understood his decision to disregard her pity concerns which were certainly low on the list of their priorities, but still would it have killed him to fake concern? A little lip service was all she wanted, it not like he had to actually give a damn.

Still, it was possible he was in mourning for his suit, which she was pleased to note not only had a lovely branch sized hole in the front but sported mud stains and a number of rips. She found it within her to smile.

"So what now?" she queried.

He at least looked at her this time, "my phone is beyond repair, is yours still operation?"

She pulled her blinged out phone from her pocket, pleased to discover it hadn't suffered the same fate as her brothers. Before she could ask what he needed it for he had already taken it from her and dialled. "Rude!"

" _Bekah?"_  she heard Nik's voice as he answered the call.

"Elijah," her companion corrected.

" _Impeccable timing,"_ Nik drawled.

"We are in Mystic Falls brother," Elijah responded before Nik could hang up on him.

" _Of course you are,"_ he didn't sound overly pleased or rather, at all pleased.

"Where are you?" Elijah continued in the same tone unaffected by their brother's tone.

" _I'll text you the location."_ Followed by a dial tone.

"Pleasant as always," she drolled, earning herself a less an approving look from Elijah before his attention was drawn back to her phone as it beeped.

"We should go," he announced and turned in the direction of the car.

"Yes, lets!" she agreed in a falsely bright tone of voice, aiming for annoying and by his expression clearly achieving her goal. She was aware that her brother had become less impressed the longer her peevish attitude continued, but she'd be damned if she was going to pretend everything was right in her world. It would be a while till she was in the mood to forgive and forget or to act her considerable age, regardless of how cringe worthy he found her behavior.

Time might heal all wounds, but there would always be scars.

Elijah straightened his tie in what she assumed was an unconscious action considering the state his outfit was in, he seemed preoccupied his eyes scanning the area as though he was expecting company or another attack. She followed behind him, not bothering to ask why they were still at human speed – she really didn't care at this point. Not paying too much attention it took her a moment to realize that he had stopped and bent down inspecting a crumbled form.

"In a rush then?" she asked; bitchy cheerleader out in force. He didn't respond so she moved forward to see what, or rather who it was that had garnered his attention. The brunette looked somewhat familiar to her; it took a moment for her to dredge the name from her memories. "Sophie."

"She's been drained, most likely by Silas," his tone was even, but she sensed that it took some effort to achieve. The emotion was thinly veiled and she wondered why that was, why he cared that the Witch was dead.

In a rare moment of weakness he volunteered more information, "her life was bound to Hayley's."

"Good riddance," she scoffed and found herself rewarded with an actual glare. Not overly interested in a lecture on how callous she was, she stepped over Sophie's lifeless form and headed to the car.

"We should bury her," his voice called out to her.

"Whatever, I'll wait in the car," she didn't bother to turn around, it wasn't as though he actually thought she'd be amendable to scooping out a grave with her bare hands after all. It was surprising that he was even contemplating it; then again he always had a soft spot witches and his suit was already beyond repair - what was a bit more dirt?

She clomped back to the car happy to find that it hadn't been commandeered while they were indisposed. Barely a minute had passed before she regretted not snatching her phone back from Elijah, she had nothing to do but wait which wasn't an activity she was fond of.

"How long does it take to bury someone?" she mused aloud whilst tapping her nails against the dash in irritation.

Apparently at least fifteen minutes because that was how long she had to wait for Elijah to appear at the tree line. Digging had done nothing for him, he looked like he'd been buried himself; she snorted in amusement.

"There might be a t-shirt and shorts in the back if you'd care to change," she advised making little effort to contain her mirth. He didn't dignify her with an answer, simply starting the car and backing out. "Give me my phone back."

Without looking at her he handed it over; they continued in silence for a few miles before she felt the need to break it. "What was she to you?"

"Regardless of what she was or was not Rebekah, she needed to be buried," he informed her that even tone, neatly avoiding a real answer which she found infuriating.

"I don't necessarily disagree, I'm just curious as to why it affected you so," she made a real effort to keep her voice soft, suppressing the inner bitch.

"All loss of life is regrettable, in this instance at least two lives were lost, possibly three," he kept his eyes on the road.

"Did you…care for her?" she knew shock was evident in her voice.

"I respected Sophie and Hayley…" he paused as though searching for an appropriate description. "She was very human."

She made no response; she didn't really know what to say, if there was anything she could say. The thing she most wanted to ask was precisely what she knew she must not – had Elijah developed feelings for one or both of them? Whatever he may have felt it had not been enough to jeopardize the doppelgänger bitch's life, so perhaps it was merely that his overdeveloped sense of honor was reeling at being confronted by the consequences of withdrawing his promised protection. One thing she was certain of, Elijah would recover and quickly at that, which was a stark contrast to what she expected from the other of her brothers still among the living.

Rebekah followed Elijah's example and focussed on the road ahead, more particularly on the pending reunion with Nik. The last time they had meet her day had taken a turn for the worst, her world had crumbled around her; this meeting could not end as badly she mused. Still, she wondered what they would encounter, who they would encounter. Would she recognize Nik at all?

It was no secret that she and Caroline had never exactly gotten along, the baby vamp was not among her favorite people, yet she had often thought that had circumstances differed they might have been friends. Given time they might still have become so. Rebekah certainly found the blonde to be the least annoying of that group, there was the whole saved her life thing and, if Nik had had his way, Caroline would have eventually joined the ranks of family. Given time they might have become as close as sisters.

Her whole life seemed to be a list of might have beens.

Elijah might find it within him to mourn the passing of each member of his acquaintance, but she didn't mourn the passing of Sophie or Hayley - Caroline was another matter. Rebekah mourned her passing; not just for what she was and what she promised to become, but for what she had undoubtedly taken with her upon departing from their world – her favorite brother.

* * *

Lady luck was smiling on them; they had reached the rendezvous without being further accosted and arrived first at that. He'd have been positively enthusiastic if the rest of their party hurried the hell up so they could get the as far from Silas as physically possible. Elena was, as he always hoped she would be, at his side, David had left them to check the perimeter or something of the sort and Bonnie was attempting to work some kind of protective mojo that he didn't pretend to understand.

"How much longer do you think?" Elena asked him, her big brown eyes full to the brim with worry.

"Any minute now beautiful," he told her calmly though he felt anything but. He wasn't too keen on sticking around, sure at the time Bonnie's house seemed like a good idea what with all the grimoires and long line of protective spells, but the longer they stayed there the more certain he was that in the history of bad ideas meeting up at the house of the one witch Silas was hunting for was the worst.

Five minutes later he was about ready to advocate ditching the rest of them and making a run for it, so it was lucky that Caroline choose that moment to waltz in with Gabe in tow.

"What time do you call this Blondie?" he tried for cocky but wasn't sure he achieved it.

"I missed you too, speaking of, Bonnie would you invite Klaus and Stefan in?" only then did he notice that Bonnie had clearly finished whatever it was that she was doing.

The witch headed to the door and he would have followed except he found himself unable to move staring at Caroline with his chin just about hitting the ground. "How come you didn't need an invitation?" he asked her, a shiver creeping up his spine.

She looked surprised by his question, "Bonnie invited me in ages ago, it's only the likes of you she didn't want in her house."

"Funny how Stefan didn't get an invite then," he replied automatically before he gave any thought to what she had said.

"Caroline," Elena's voice was so quiet he was sure no one but himself and Blondie had heard it. "I couldn't get in."

For a moment Caroline looked puzzled, but he could see when realization hit; her eyes went wide, her mouth opened in small pout as the air expelled from her lungs. He watched her throat swallowing nervously.

Stefan choose that moment to wrap his arms around him, crushing him to his chest. Damon wrapped his arms around his brother, but kept his eyes on Caroline. There was something seriously off with her, if not for the fact that the others were with her he'd have been convinced she was Silas in disguise, being that he was the only other vamp who didn't appear to need an invitation.

His view was blocked as Elena stepped into his vision and wrapped her arms around both himself and Stefan, tears trailing down her cheeks. When they broke apart Caroline was no longer in the room, he listened for her following the sound of hushed tones outside to where she and David were in the middle of what appeared to be a whispered argument. As he approached they broke apart, David disappeared down the side of the house and Caroline headed back to the house. He stopped her from entering, grabbing her forearm.

"What's going on Barbie?"

"I don't know Damon, something..." she paused, looking straight through him as though he wasn't there, "something is happening to me."

"Tell me something I don't know Sherlock," he didn't bother to keep the irritation from his voice. When he found his arm wrenched from her forearm and his body pressed forcefully into the side of the house by a homicidal looking Hybrid he thought perhaps it might have been wise to have at least attempted it.

"You best watch how you speak to her Salvatore," Klaus spat the words out.

Damon was under the distinct impression that Klaus had built up an awful lot of violent tension and was on the look out for an outlet; he was damn sure he didn't want to be that outlet, yellow eyes did not bode well for his chances of survival.

Luckily for him Caroline's hands gripped the Hybrid's, "Klaus stop!"

Though Klaus looked sorely disappointed he allowed her to pull him back, releasing Damon. Damon ran his hands over his throat watching the Hybrid wearily, he decided it was in his best interest to discontinue his conversation with Blondie, at least for the present. That in mind, "bout time we skipped town."

The two exchanged a look, which made him all the more uncomfortable. "Not time to bounce?" he asked dreading the answer.

"Rebekah and Elijah are on their way," Klaus responded, but Damon was certain there was something he wasn't sharing.

"Right, and when they get here?" the two again exchanged a look.

"I need to talk to Silas," Caroline announced.

"So not what I was expecting," there wasn't just something going on with her, she was off her rocker.

"If he destroys the Other Side then everyone there will cease to exist," Klaus paused, "as will any one of you that die after the act."

There was something distinctly smug about the Hybrid or perhaps that was Damon seeing what he wanted to see. Still, he didn't see why it was necessary for the Hybrid to point out it was unlikely he would be sharing their fate should Silas succeed. Being an Original was not without its benefits.

Damon sighed, "so what's the plan?"

"I talk to Silas," Caroline advised.

He was incredulous. "That's it? The whole plan is  _you_ talk to Silas?" It was officially the worst plan ever.

Klaus smirked, "that's what the lady said."

He'd have snorted his dissent to the lady part of that sentence but his survival instincts kicked in, best not to poke the angry Hybrid Original.

"While we are waiting, you can tell me why Tyler left," Caroline's gaze settled on something over his left shoulder.

He turned to find Elena, however much she had heard of their conversation he didn't know, but she'd certainly heard the last part and before he could stop her she spoke. "He went with Hayley."

Caroline's eyes flashed the deepest blue before they turned black, veins popping, "what?" she shrieked.

This, Damon reflected, would have been the perfect moment for the Hybrid to make himself useful and snap Blondie's neck before she went postal, but as the man appeared to be working on suppressing a satisfied smirk Damon figured it was not going to happen.

* * *

Caroline's entire being was pulsating with anger. "Tyler left with the were-slut? Seriously? Seriously?!" If it had been Damon to tell her she could have dismissed it out of hand, he was a prized ass-hat, but Elena wouldn't do that to her. Unless...

"Did you turn it off again?" she regarded her friend with squinting eyes.

"No, I'm sorry Caroline. I'm sure he wouldn't have if he'd known," Elena's eyes fell to the ground. "We all thought you were dead, you know," her eyes came up briefly tears building in their corners, "he never would have left if he'd known you were alive, I'm sure of it."

"So your telling me that because you all thought I was dead for what? Six months?  _Nine_?" her tone turned positively vicious, "He decided that he'd run off with Klaus' baby mama?" she was bordering on hysterical, she knew. "And you," she turned to Klaus with an accusing finger. "Just why didn't you tell them I was alive? I know you knew!"

His mouth was hanging open, he looked utterly confounded. Rather than wasting time waiting for him to get it together she continued on her rant, "So I'm barely dead and Tyler runs off with the bitch who helped kill me? Is that what you're telling me?" voice reaching towards the heavens.

Elena nodded in response as Damon moved closer to her side as though afraid Caroline was on the verge of leaping at her. Sure she was boiling in a rage that could rival the sun in its intensity, but she wasn't going to take it out on her friend, a tree definitely, Damon if that wasn't effective, Klaus in a pinch, but not Elena. Well, at least not until after the tree, Damon, and Klaus.

"Just when were you lot planning on telling me this?" she flung out to the general populace.

"If we'd known this would be your reaction, then how bout never?" Damon moved himself ahead of the tree.

Before she could launch herself at him to rip his head off, another interrupted, "Caroline?"

She turned and found herself facing Elijah and Rebekah with equally astounded expressions gracing their faces.

"Oh my god, Caroline!" Rebekah shrieked and then did something so unexpected that before she knew it Caroline found herself on the ground with the Original on top of her hugging her fiercely. It was so shocking that for a moment her anger was forgotten and then without giving it much thought she hugged the other blonde back.

"Well isn't this delightful," yet another voice interrupted.

Caroline looked up, her gaze meeting  _Not the Old_  Stefan's or as other people knew him, Silas.

"Welcome back sunshine."


	20. Chapter 20

Arrogance was his undoing; it hadn't occurred to him that there was anyone who could actually challenge him, excepting the little witch in New Orleans of course. Yet just when Bonnie Bennett was to surrender herself to him the man stepped forward and did just that. Silas hadn't seen it coming, he had absolutely no idea what the man was thinking so when he had pushed the witch from him Silas was surprised. When the man had cleaved the sword up into his chest, lodging it in his clavicle, he had been astounded. But that was nothing to what he had felt when his skin had begun to turn grey and his legs given way below him. The world had spun on its axis and his arrogance had evaporated quicker than the man had flashed away.

A town full of people under his control and not one of them was left with the capacity of thought to remove the sword which continued to sap all traces of life. For the first time in two thousand years he actually feared for his life. Time appeared to slow, each breath lengthened, each heart beat stretched. Every cell in his body screamed as at an agonizingly slow pace his body shut down, sound retreated, vision left him, feeling dulled, thoughts became sparse until all that remained was the thumping of his slowing heartbeat.

Like poison in his veins the sword reduced him, leached all semblance of self from his body and thoughts, he was a heartbeat in an empty shell and then that too ended. For a split second Silas was no more, he was utterly defeated.

Then as slowly as he stopped, he began again, a single heartbeat signalling the procession back to into being. As each sense was lost so was it regained; low conversations, expressions of horror and curiosity were being exchanged around him. When his vision finally returned he found himself staring at a collection of feet; the good townsfolk had clearly gathered around him and judging by their conversations were also clearly no longer under his influence.

It was therefore unsurprising that they issued a collection of screams and almost all of them scrambled away when he reached his hand up and pulled the sword from his body. Weakened though he was, he easily capitalized on the opportunity presented by those who didn't have the presence of mind to run and drained them in short order. His eyes scanned for any further snacks within easy distance before alighting on the fallen sword which lay in pieces in the grass, it was a curious weapon the like of which he had never seen before, not even in the minds of those he had inhabited during his long captivity. Had he either the time or the inclination he was sure he would discover all its secrets, but as it was no longer and he had already lost too much time he put it out of his mind.

It was a problem he could consider at a later date, at present Miss Bennett was making her escape. He knew where she was headed when she left, all the minds - those that he could read at least - had loudly broadcast their destination. The blood he had ingested had healed his wounds, but had not restored him to full strength. Still, he was confident that barring another sword wielding mad man he would acquire the Bennett Witch's services - he just had to get there in time. He moved as quick as he was able, knowing precisely where his prey had headed and determined that she not slip from his grasp yet again.

He had his latest reclaimed slave stop the vehicle some distance away, making the final journey on foot. He arrived in time to see the blonde Original launch herself at Caroline, his breath had caught in his throat, for the briefest of moments fearing that the Original meant her ill before he invaded her thoughts reading her intention. Caroline's mouth had opened in surprise, her entire countenance radiating it before her arms had wrapped themselves around the other in a welcoming gesture. He felt an equal measure of amusement and jealousy, the later prompting him to interject himself in the little scene, "well isn't this delightful."

All eyes focused on him at the point, but there was only one pair he wanted to meet. Her big blue eyes locked with his and for a second or two they shone with something close to pleasure, at least it seemed so to him. Perhaps he was projecting for felt as though he had stepped out of a long dark night and back into the sun.

"Welcome back sunshine," he greeted her with genuine warmth even as she turned from him her lips forming a thin line. She rose to her feet in one graceful movement, gazing from one side to the other, drawing his attention to the two males that had taken up residence at her side. One he recognized as the man who had embedded the sword in his chest, the other was unfamiliar and he fervently wished the sword he carried was equally so.

"They're with me," her soft voice informed him.

He raised an eyebrow, not exactly surprised with her admission considering how the men positioned themselves, but wanting to know more of their relationship to her. Wanting to know why she would  _claim_  them.

"This is Adam and I believe you have met David," she pointed to each of them in turn, then stepping passed them she motioned towards the house. "Gabe is in the house with Bonnie and Stefan," she sighed softly. "I know why you're here Silas," she breathed out his name, almost hesitantly.

"I need the witch and I will be taking her," he told her firmly. He wanted to tell Caroline that he wouldn't hurt her, that though he would tear each and every one of her companions limb from limb she would always be safe with him. He wanted to say that, but found himself mute. There were too many witnesses, too many others that might mistake words meant to offer her comfort as a lack of resolve he told himself, though the true was darker - he couldn't tell her that because it wasn't true, if she chose to stand against him he would not stay his hand.

"I'm sorry for your loss," she moved further forward and, as though there was a string that tied them together, he watched Klaus move with her.

"Thank you for your heartfelt condolences," he sneered, though in truth he was grateful.

"Now, I'll be taking my witch," he turned away from her towards the building that housed what he required. Before he had taken a step she flashed in front of him, Klaus now practically attached to her hip it with barely an inch between them. Something in her posture told him that she wasn't entirely comfortable with the Hybrid's proximity though from his thoughts he could tell there was nothing behind it other than the man's deep seated need to protect her. It was in that moment that he realized that her thoughts were closed to him, the same kind of blankness he encountered with David. Without really thinking he reached out to cup her face.

The Hybrid beside her growled and might have launched himself at him had her hand not spade across the man's chest. "You have to stop," whether the words were for him or the Hybrid, he wasn't sure at first. "This war with Qetsiyah must end."

Anger rose within him, "just what do you think I'm trying to do?" He withdrew his hands as though she'd burned him, "I will end this war!"

"You will end us all," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

She was a surprising creature even before her thoughts became unreadable, but she had never blindsided him before. "What did you say?"

"If you destroy the Other Side you won't go to the Afterlife when you die, none of us will, we will just die," she looked at him pleadingly.

He didn't need to read her thoughts to know she was telling the truth, because the second the words left her mouth his soul screamed in agony. Two thousand years he had labored and for what? To think himself so close to achieving his heart's desire only to have it torn from him - it took him a long while to digest the enormity of it all, the tragedy that was his daily existence. But when he did he found that it wasn't the dream of reuniting with Amara that made his soul scream, it was the knowledge that Qetsiyah had triumphed, that he had been fighting two thousand years in a war he had lost before it really begun.

"What happens to those that reside in the Other Side if I destroy it?" he asked her, his voice deceptively calm. She was quick, his Caroline, he knew she had immediately followed his line of thinking and when her eyes widened in horror he had his answer.

"They cease to be," he said what she refused to, a small smile spreading across his face.

* * *

Klaus had never in his life felt such such a mixture of helplessness and fury as he did watching Caroline with Silas. There was a large part of him that wanted to grab her and run, to hold her close and safe regardless of the consequences of doing so.

When Silas had reached out and touched her, his muscles had automatically readied themselves to attack; her hand, a mere touch had stilled him, forced him to cease his advance. It would never cease to amaze him how she alone could hold him back even in his blinding rage. How her one weak hand could hold him back when an army would have failed.

Throughout the conversation her hand remained on his chest and even as that creepy smile spread across the face of old friend shared Klaus remained caged by it. While he could not do what he wished the most, when that evil smile had etched across the vampire's face his own hand reached up to cover hers whilst his other slipped around her waist bringing her closer. She did not turn her gaze upon him, it was fixed upon Silas as though she was worried if it was broken she would lose whatever small measure of influence she might have over the vampire.

"Please Silas, don't do this," her voice seemed so desperate.

Silas paused, seemingly affected, "this has been my life for two thousand years Caroline, what would you have me do?"

"Start a new life," the words flew from her mouth, "find a way to live and be happy."

The vampire cocked his head, considering her words, "I'm not sure I can."

"Yes, you can," she insisted, her voice was stronger, her shoulders straightening. Klaus couldn't see her eyes, but he was certain they were on fire.

Silas pursed his lips, his smile turning from deadly to amused as he beheld her in all her glory, his hazel eyes shifted meeting Klaus'. The vampire might have been the mind reader, but Klaus knew what he was thinking, knew what he would say before the words left his lips. Involuntarily Klaus tightened his grip on Caroline's waist, if it pained her he saw no sign of it.

"And what if, dear Caroline, only  _you_  could make me happy in this new life?"

Klaus felt her stiffen ever so slightly as his own blood turned to ice.

"What?" she choked out.

"If only you bring me happiness in this world Caroline, would you consent to an eternity at my side?" his voice was low and seductive.

A gasp left her throat, but words seemed beyond her. Klaus' eyes burned a hole through Silas' head, he wanted nothing more than to rip out the vampire's innards - he knew that Caroline would capitulate, she would sacrifice herself, the rest of her eternity and he would be forced to spend the rest of his agonizing over her absence.

But before she did that, before she found the words that would consign him to hell on earth, Silas spoke again.

"You would, wouldn't you my little ray of sunshine?" he paused briefly. "It's time for you to leave."

"But, I..."

The vampire cut her off, his voice hard, "take your witch friend and go."

Klaus breathed a sigh of relief, then pulled her back crushing her to his chest as he turned her to place his body between the two.

"Get the car," he ordered, throwing his keys to David.

As David moved towards the car Adam flashed into the house, exiting seconds later with Gabe in tow, they moved not to the vehicle David was starting but instead to the one Elijah and Rebekah had arrived in. His siblings, as though by some unspoken agreement, arrived at the vehicle at the same moment while Damon and Elena entered the third.

Stefan and Bonnie then exited the house, both holding Grimoires in their arms, the later's gaze nervously held that of Silas until she was in the vehicle with David the door firmly shut. Stefan joined his brother, leaving only himself and Caroline. Just as he turned to push her towards the vehicle she spoke again, "wait, just...there's something I was supposed to say."

As much as it pained him to do so, he moved just far enough for her to meet the vampire's steely gaze.

"She told me to tell you that if..." she took a deep breath, "if you didn't want to live, she would allow you to die and when you did you wouldn't go there...you wouldn't go anywhere."

"Full of surprises," Silas said, sounding more sad - bitter - than surprised. "And just who is  _she_  that wields such power?"

"She cannot say, but if you should like to take up the offer I can lead you," David spoke having returned, the vehicle still running, keys in the ignition.

"Perhaps some other time," Silas responded, darkness swimming in his eyes. "Go."

"My mother?" Caroline asked quickly as Klaus pulled her towards the vehicle, David trailing behind.

"Unharmed, she's on vacation, London last I heard," he advised though he sounded far away, completely detached.

Just as they reached the vehicle Silas moved to intercept them, coming to stand in front of Caroline and preventing her from entering.

"I am allowing you to leave Caroline, I am allowing you to take the witch with you, but that does not mean that I have decided," he ran the back of his fingers over one of her check bones. "After two thousand years the promise of oblivion is attractive, more so if that bitch shares such a fate. So run now my little ray of sunshine, but do think that this is over," he dropped his hand and his voice turned hard again, "Go!"


	21. Chapter 21

An uncomfortable silence reigned in the vehicle, there was a lot Damon wanted to say, but he held his tongue, waiting for what he did not know. Elena seemed as lost as he was staring out the window with a pensive expression, every now and then she expelled pent-up air through her nose as though she had contemplated speaking and then thought better of it. Stefan was in the back, his eyes fixed on some distance point ahead seemingly oblivious, and equally quiet.

It was a relief when their convoy arrived at the run down motel where the humans had been sent to wait for them, well most of the humans. Damon wasn't certain where Klaus had stashed his new blood bag, but he imagined wherever she was, Katherine wasn't happy. He briefly considered telling his brother, but then thought better of it. No telling how Stefan would react to hearing of another's incarceration so soon after his own – there was no telling how he would react to anything.

The moment the car stopped Elena was out the door and pulling out of the motel room and into her arms. He was sorely tempted to follow her, but as his brother remained unmoving in the back seat he paused undecided.

"Go," Stefan spoke up.

Damon turned to meet his eyes, "Nah, they need a moment." He looked Stefan over, his brother looked like he need a vacation or twelve. His clothing was ragged, his hair a mess and for someone who'd come from the longest bath in history he looked unnaturally dirty. It was the eyes though that showed the most damage, he looked vacant almost; Damon had never seen Stefan in such a state.

"I'm sorry," the words were not adequate to explain the depth of his regret, his guilt, but they were best he could offer.

Stefan nodded, but he was looking past Damon, his focus on the people outside - more particularly on the humans outside. There was something distinctly strained about his younger brother, like he'd just come off a blood bender, the ripper still close to the surface. It seemed to take a great deal of effort for Stefan to turn his attention back to Damon, but after a couple of minutes his hazel eyes meet Damon's questioning gaze.

"It wasn't your fault Damon, it wasn't you;" he said in a low voice before he exited the car.

Damon watched as he went and stood by Caroline who had Matt locked in what looked like a bone crushing hug. The moment the blonde released Matt she was by his brother's side, her hand in his - Damon wondered if it was to offer comfort or more of a restraining nature.

He exited the car and went to stand with Elena, they made for an unusual grouping. Elijah and Rebekah were off to the side, standing not too far from the vehicle they arrived in. Caroline, Stefan and Bonnie stood somewhat in the middle with Klaus, Adam, David and Gabe forming a rough circle around them. Elena, Jeremy and himself stood closest to the motel and Matt was in no man's land somewhere between the two Original vampires and themselves. It occurred to him that where they stood might be a reflection on their allegiances - how much they had changed.

"So what's the plan?" Jeremy asked, Damon presumed that the others had filled the humans in on what happened in his absence.

"We are returning to New Orléans," Klaus answered, exactly who "we" included was unclear.

"By we you mean?" he figured he may as well ask, though he sincerely hoped he wasn't included.

"My siblings, myself...Caroline," Klaus paused, his eyes focused on Caroline and Stefan's joined hands. "Stefan, if necessary," he added though clearly none too pleased.

"And Bonnie," Caroline spoke up, letting go of Stefan's hand and moving closer to the Hybrid.

"Of course love," he said smiling briefly.

"What about us?" Jeremy again.

"What about  _you_?" Rebekah sneered, making her feelings on the subject abundantly clear.

Elena stepped forward, "we need to stay together."

Damon couldn't have disagreed more, but was saved from being the jerk this particular time by the Original Hybrid who summed up his sentiments in one word.

"No," he stated, his expression matching his tone, cold and unyielding.

"What?" Elena's voice had risen, she seemed genuinely shocked.

"You're not invited," and with that he took Caroline by the arm and led her back to their vehicle. David was already climbing into the driver's seat, Adam and Gabe situating themselves in the back of the two Original vampire's vehicle.

Elena's eyes meet his, her expression pleading for him to do something, anything.

When he made no move to intervene Elena opened her mouth again, no doubt intending to raise further objections, but Rebekah cut her off, "we don't have time to babysit, so toddle off Elena."

"You can't make them go with you," Elena pointed out. "And you can't stop us from coming," she ended with eyes narrowed.

The Hybrid sighed, and then flashed in front of her, grabbed her by the neck and held her gaze, his eyes dilating, "you are not coming to New Orléans. You will go find refuge elsewhere."

Elena repeated the words, her voice sounding miles away, her face blank.

Damon was equal parts angry and relieved. He knew they couldn't stay in Mystic Falls, Silas was still resident and the chances that the vampire's reign of terror was at an end were slim to none, yet going to New Orléans was equally unappealing. From all accounts Klaus was in the middle of a power struggle which, if it wasn't already, would get bloody. He was one hundred percent certain that the life expectancy in that town was going to plummet and he didn't want his baby vampire anywhere near it.

Klaus dropped Elena the moment she finished speaking then turned, exchanged a quick glance with Stefan before nodding and returning to Caroline's side - Klaus pointedly ignoring the death-stare the blonde was directing his way.

Bonnie stepped forward and drew Elena into a tight hug, "I'm sorry, but we have to go." She pulled back and smiled sadly, "I don't expect you to understand, I don't really understand myself, but we have to..." she paused looking at Klaus as though considering something, "you can't come with us."

Bonnie moved to Jeremy hugging him tight whispering something so lowly in his ear that Damon missed it. She hugged Matt next and then without another word climbed into the passenger seat next to David, her eyes locked on a point ahead of her as though reluctant to meet any of their gazes.

"I'm going as well," Stefan broke his silence.

"Stefan," Elena breathed out, "you..." she stopped clearly uncertain how to continue.

Witchy and Blondie he could let go without a fight, but not his brother, "not happening."

Stefan smiled, then pulled Damon into a hug. "I have to," he whispered.

"No you don't," he whispered back, holding his brother tight, unwilling to let him go.

"I'm not in control," Stefan told him as though Damon wasn't already aware of that.

"We'll help you," he told him pulling back so that they were eye to eye.

Stefan's eyes gravitated to Caroline. "I don't think you can," he told him, regret clouding his features.

It felt to Damon as though his brother had punched him in the gut.

"This is all very touching, but I've wasted enough time here so.." Klaus motioned towards the vehicles, direction clear - get in now.

While Elijah nodded to each of them in farewell, Rebekah hugged Matt. Then the two of them where in their vehicle and they were watching them drive away.

Klaus' fingers circled around Caroline's upper arm, but she flashed out of his grasp and hugged them each in turn. Before the seething Hybrid decided to drag her to the vehicle she flashed back to his side - he got in first pulling her after him.

"I'll see you again," his little brother told them.

"Why do you have to go?" Elena asked, tears now streaming down her face.

He shrugged, "it's not forever."

Damon watched his brother turn and take up the last seat next to Caroline, the moment the door shut the vehicle was in motion and soon out of sight. He turned back to Elena, finding her in a heap on the pavement weeping in Jeremy's arms. He joined them, brushing her hair from her face.

"They'll be back Elena," he told her.

"What if they don't? What if they die?" she asked clearly heartbroken. He understood exactly where she was coming from, how it was physically painful for her to consider letting her friends go into a war zone - let alone without her. Yet he could not find it within him to regret that they had been left behind, he only regretted that Stefan had gone.

"You still have us," he told her in a soothing tone. She nodded, but the tears continued.

* * *

It had been a long day, a long week, a long year and there was nothing more that she wanted than to sleep until the next millennium. In the front passenger seat Bonnie had quickly nodded off, Caroline was green with envy wanting nothing more than to join her, but circumstances did not allow it. She had been sandwiched between Stefan and Klaus, both of whom appeared determined to nurse their bad attitudes all the way to New Orléans. Stefan was brooding and withdrawn, Klaus was bleak and unresponsive - neither made for a good travelling companion and both appeared to worsen with every attempt to draw them out. Worse still the two of them crowded her, each taking up more than their fair share of space and collectively making it impossible for her to get comfortable.

By the time they reached the airport she was eager to leave her dour companions and seek out new ones, but as she made to follow Stefan out the door Klaus had grabbed her arm holding her in place. "We need to talk sweetheart," he ground out, leaving her with the distinct impression whatever he wished to discuss was not a pleasant topic.

"What did you want to talk about?" she asked, dreading the answer.

He paused as though considering how best to start, "Tyler."

Had she bothered to compile a list of topics she imagined Klaus would feel like to discuss with her, she wouldn't have included Tyler on it, and he definitely wasn't on the list of things she wanted to discuss, or even think about now. "Can we do this some other time, I'm tired," she told him, attempting to tug free of his grasp.

"Caroline," how he managed to make her name sound like a threat she would never understand.

"Fine," she hissed the word out through her teeth. "What about him?"

"It wasn't nine months, not even close," he said, his voice even, measured almost.

"Do you have a point?" she knew precisely what he meant, but a part of her felt obliged to at least attempt to defend Tyler. Even if deep down she didn't believe he was defensible. After all, what could have possibly prompted the love of her life to run off with the woman who almost got her killed? Even if he thought she was dead, even if he didn't know Hayley had a hand in her abduction, Caroline could not comprehend such a betrayal.

There were few people on the planet she despised more than Hayley, scratch that, there was no one on the planet she hated more, and Tyler had to know that. So why would he go with  _her_ , why would he choose  _her_ of all people.

If their positions were reversed Caroline would have waited, till she was presented with irrefutable evidence that he was dead, and even then she would not have even contemplated running off with his worst enemy - she would have rejected Klaus' advances until the sun failed to burn.

In Tyler's absence she had held her life love in abeyance, she had remained loyal, but he couldn't be loyal for even six months? Was it less time that even that? What kind of love was that? It wasn't, not any kind she identified with anyhow.

So yes, she knew what Klaus was getting at, but she didn't want to give him the satisfaction.

"I would never have given up," he continued pleading his lost cause.

She felt anger rising within her - Tyler wasn't her forever, but neither was he. Sure, Tyler ran off with the bitch, but at least he didn't have a kid with her. However immature it might be to hold such a thing against Klaus when they had never been together and she had never thought they would be, Caroline did hold it against him, she nurtured her anger.

For reasons she didn't rightly comprehend, or ever want to, the fact that Klaus impregnated the were-slut was more painful than the man she considered the love of her life running off with the vile woman.

It didn't make sense, but there it was.

"You already did," somehow the signals between her brain and mouth got confused, she hadn't meant to voice her thoughts.

The hand not holding her hostage reached up and cupped her face, then wrapped around her chin to force her to meet his gaze. "Is this about Hayley?" it seemed to pain him to even ask.

"Of course this is about Hayley," she snapped.

He smiled then, actually smiled as though he was amused and she felt an overwhelming desire to scratch his eyes out. "She told you that baby was mine?" his voice was soft.

She didn't answer, she was oh so tired, so sick of it all.

"It wasn't mine," he told her, his eyes pleading with her to believe him.

The strangest thing happened then, her anger replaced with what she could only be described as joy - it was strange because she knew it was not the reaction she should have had, she really shouldn't have had any reaction. It confused her. Caroline absolutely didn't want to be with Klaus, she had  _never_  wanted to be with Klaus, they were friends, nothing more. They could never be anything more. She knew this, she believed  _this,_ and yet _.._.

"Why is Hayley on the run then?" she asked, more to distract herself than him.

"She tried to hurt you," a small smile played on his raspberry lips.

Something had shifted within her, she knew it then. Caroline felt as though she'd fallen down the rabbit hole, because the idea of Klaus searching all four corners of the earth in order to avenge her - knowing what would happen to the were-slut should Klaus find her - excited rather than repelled her.


	22. Chapter 22

It was times like these that she really missed Kol. Standing on the side line of a family drama, watching Nik and Elijah go at it, really wasn't half so amusing without his whimsical commentary. In addition, the second youngest of her brothers was uniquely gifted with the ability to extend any disagreement, a perfectly timed dig here, a slip of the tongue there...but most importantly Kol would have been gleeful in his enjoyment of the scene, and in being so Rebekah would have had no need to mask hers. As it was she had watched Elijah and Nik's fight with contrived concern – it wasn't as though either of the two could die or be permanently injured after all, and frankly she believed that each of them was deserving of a good beating.

Of all the things that the latest in the long line of Mikaelson dramas could have been caused by it was most unfortunately due to the vile trollop, or rather Nik's treatment of said trollop. Was there ever a time when two brothers had actually been in one of these doppelganger's presence for any length of time without fighting? She suspected not.

Upon arriving at the airport everyone had quickly absconded from their vehicles with the exception of Nik and Caroline who, for reasons passing understanding, deemed it appropriate that everyone else wait while they had a heart to heart. With each minute she was kept waiting Rebekah felt her enthusiasm over Caroline's return to the land of living ebb more to the point that she was more than a little bored when Nik finally jumped and moved around to the trunk – Caroline had appeared to be momentarily glued to her seat, for how long Rebekah couldn't tell because as soon as Nik opened the trunk she stopped paying any attention to the other blonde.

Katherine had made herself known the instant she hit fresh air and about a millisecond later Elijah had flashed forward and lifted her into his arms. The doppelganger looked a little worse for wear which Rebekah was not ashamed to admit was infinitely gratifying especially considering that the original of their number had seemed to go to great lengths to make her feel inferior.

Elijah's reaction was the exact opposite, he appeared thoroughly irate, why his mouth practically twitched in disapproval.

"What do you think you are doing?" Nik had asked in a deadly tone of voice.

"I thought we were passed this," Elijah responded as his eyes roamed her body seemingly in the process of cataloging the doppelganger's injures – the  _human_  doppelganger's injuries. Rebekah, who had never been fond of Katherine, found herself deeply amused by the doppelganger's return to normalcy only too aware of how abhorrently unsatisfying the superior cow would find it - she clung to it, knowing that it was better to revel in Katherine's despair at having the cure forced upon her than to wallow in her own at having lost it.

"Thought wrong;" Klaus said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Now, either get her on the plane or hand her over."

"She's not coming with us," Elijah advised, sure and steady.

"I beg to differ," Klaus' voice attained that icy coolness she had grown to hate if directed at her. Being that it was instead directed at Elijah, Rebekah couldn't help but snort in amusement, drawing both her brother's gazes – one's lips turned up in an indulgent smirk, the others in a disapproving thin line.

She shrugged her shoulders and composed her face in a disinterested facade. "Don't mind me," she told them as though she thought they ever would have.

"Get her on the plane brother," Nik drew Elijah's attention back with the command.

"She's human," Elijah had said as though that explained everything, and perhaps to him it did.

"Which makes her useful," was the answering sneer.

Rebekah knew precisely where it would go from there and neither brother disappointed. Elijah had released Katherine and launched himself at Nik who from all appearances not only expected, but welcomed it. She had wondered idly if Elijah would have been as inclined to combat their brother had his suit not already been in such a state of disrepair – perhaps though her elder brother loved the doppelganger bitch enough that he would have chosen to ruin a brand new suit. Regardless, Rebekah was thoroughly entertained.

Her eyes had drifted from the pair just long enough to notice that Caroline had taken temporary custody of the brunette who Rebekah had no doubt had attempted to slink off during the scuffle – how she imagined there was any chance of escape while surrounded by supernaturals was a mystery. Then again, it was Katherine.

Nik and Elijah had continued their back and forth, inflicting as much damage upon each other as they possibly could - it didn't take long before they were slamming each other into the array of vehicles. She was pleased to note that Nik's outfit was taking a battering.

Oh how she missed Kol.

"Bonnie what's wrong?" Caroline's voice drew her attention from the brawl to the witch who was staring open mouthed at the empty space beside Rebekah.

"Kol," Bonnie breathed out, her face the picture of shock.

"What?" Rebekah had focused all her attention on the witch, her elder brothers forgotten. "What did you say?" her tone turned demanding.

"Kol," Bonnie repeated and then her arm came up, her finger pointing at the space beside where Rebekah stood.

Her heart skipped a beat, "Kol's here? You…you can see him?"

Bonnie's nodded as her expression twisted into a grimace, "unfortunately I can also hear him."

"Like Jeremy," Caroline stated.

Rebekah wasn't exactly sure what the other blonde was talking about, but presumed that this was a phenomenon they had encountered before – obviously in relation to the younger Gilbert. In any case she wasn't overly interest in previous events, it was the now that captured her, the possibility that she might recover a little of what she had lost. "Is Finn here too?"

"No, just  _him_ ," Bonnie said somehow managing to make  _him_  sound like a swear word.

"What is he saying?" she asked though not completely convinced she wanted to know, was he angry with her? Did he feel that she had betrayed him by aligning herself with his murders in her pursuit of the cure? Did he hate her now?

"Most of it isn't worth repeating, though he said he misses you too and is insistent that I tell you he thinks it was unsporting of Klaus to take advantage and snap Elijah's neck while we distracted him," she replied looking put upon – if the never ending grimace was anything to go by there was some heavy editing in relation to Kol's comments. Knowing her brother most of what was edited out was likely of the unsavory variety and probably directed at the witch herself.

Rebekah couldn't stop herself from smiling, happy that her brother was both here and had apparently forgiven her transgressions, even as her gaze turned back to the brothers she had left and noted that Elijah was indeed lying in a heap post neck snap. Nik's features were lifted in a small but genuine smile, his gaze fixed on the space where Kol apparently stood.

It was one of those few rare moments when the two of them were both happy, when they both had reason to be. For a while there it had seemed as though happiness would be a thing of the past, but then Caroline rose from the dead and now Kol was back...sort of.

"Is there a spell that would allow me to talk to him directly?" she asked Bonnie, ever hopeful.

"Not that I know of," the witch responded something in her tone indicated that she was surprised anyone would actually want to talk to him. The witch turned towards Gabe with a questioning look to which he responded by shrugging his shoulders, whether that meant he didn't know of one or didn't care Rebekah wasn't sure.

Bonnie spun around as though someone had grabbed her. "Kol doesn't know either," the witch said her lips forming one thin line as she glared at the space beside her before moving quickly towards the plane as though someone was in hot pursuit. Rebekah could only imagine how annoying her brother was when one was unfortunate enough to only being who could hear him.

"Why can Bonnie see him?" she wondered out loud.

"Because she died and was brought back, that's why Jeremy can in any case," Caroline helpfully supplied before dragging a bitter looking Katherine on to the plane.

It took Rebekah a while to regain the ability to move, her mind had gone into overdrive. If Bonnie could be brought back...if Jeremy could, then why not Kol? Why not Finn even? Had Nik or Elijah already looked into it? And if they had, why hadn't they succeeded? If it was achievable for the likes of the Mystic Falls idiots why not for them the Originals? Why couldn't they restore their family?

She couldn't think of a single reason so she would have to find out. Watching as Nik carried Elijah's dead weight on to the plane she decided that she would start with Nik there obviously being a small delay in getting any answers from Elijah. With Caroline back from the dead her brother had to be in good mood, right?

* * *

If he hadn't thought Rebekah would object further delaying their departure, he'd have left his older brother on the tarmac. Not because he was angry but rather because recent events had given him a better understanding of his brother's feelings and intent. Were their roles reversed he would have attacked Elijah too - he would have done everything in his power to insure Caroline's safety.

So Klaus could sympathize - perhaps go so far as to empathize – but Katherine presented an opportunity and he wasn't in the habit of wasting such things, regardless of how his anyone might  _feel_  about it. There was no choice but to take her, and as it was highly unlikely she would actually choose to accompany them she traveled in the trunk or strapped down in a plane as she was currently.

In time perhaps he would be able to entertain how such actions might injure his brother, might even be able to find it within himself to let her go, but that wouldn't be anytime soon. He had a war to win, and Katherine would play a vital role. If history had taught him anything it was that Elijah would get over it; after all it wasn't as though Klaus intended to kill her…any time soon.

"I want to talk about our brothers," Rebekah interrupted his thoughts taking the seat next to him.

"Plural?" he had a suspicion he knew what she wanted to talk about.

"Finn and Kol," she stated with a small smile, it reeked of hopefulness.

He held back a grimace, "no witch would assist us."

"Have you even tried?" she was leaking condemnation and he found it exceedingly annoying.

"Have you? Or were you too busy chasing after the cure with the people that killed them?" he intended to hurt her; she had betrayed them all and yet she had the gall to speak to him in such a manner.

Her eyes momentarily widened in shock before they began to glisten, tears building behind them.

He wasn't sorry, not even a little.

"Could we try?" she asked softly.

"Perhaps," he said considering and the more he thought about it the more attractive it became. It was unlikely to succeed, but they did already have among their party an individual with intimate experience and such a task could serve as the perfect distraction for Elijah who was undoubted the better liked in witches circles. Yes, it could work well for him and were it to actually succeed...

He turned his focus to Elijah and noted that he was moments from reanimation - not feeling inclined to continue their "discussion" at present he quickly snapped his neck once more before turning back to his sister. "Elijah and the Bennett witch can assist you," he told her. She leaped across and squeezed him tightly.

"What if I don't want to help you bring them back?" the witch asked.

"You want to be Kol's sole companion?" he asked her suppressing a smile.

"I'm sure I could find a spell to get rid of him," she muttered sullenly.

"But as luck would have it you already know the spell to bring him back," this time he smiled widely.

"She can't," an irate sounding Caroline interjected. "She died bringing Jeremy back."

He closed his eyes for a moment and then opening them meet her fiery ones, "I wasn't going to make her sweetheart, we have witches on the payroll." He could literally see the anger bleeding out of her, she gave him a small nod before her mouth twitched into a small frown.

"What if it kills them?" she voiced a concern he didn't share.

What did it matter to him if a few witches died if his brother...brothers, if his living siblings insisted on bringing Finn back too...returned? It didn't, but he got the distinct impression Caroline wouldn't react well to such an answer. "We will do our best to insure that won't happen love."

Rebekah shot him a disbelieving look, but Caroline smiled which he took as a positive sign. He watched as she turned around to return to her seat next to the strapped in Katherine, her blonde curls bouncing in a way he found enticing - much like the rest of her. An answering smile claimed his features, his eyes never leaving Caroline's form. Until, that is, he heard his sister snort beside him.

"Please," she muttered under her breath so that only he would hear her.

Still, he couldn't help but notice his sister was smiling as well.


	23. Chapter 23

She was despairing for her sanity. There was something irrevocably wrong with her, and not just the freaky  _"it's the blood"_  changes which were worrying by themselves, she was slowly going bat shit crazy. She had to be because there was no way she could possibly be falling for the big bad Hybrid, no way in hell, except that she was.

There was no denying it. And should she have felt an inclination to delve deeper into neurosis which she so  _didn't_ , she might have realised that falling wasn't the correct tense - she had already fallen.

Throughout the flight both her gaze and her thoughts had fallen on him time and again despite her best efforts to turn them elsewhere. He had appeared so engrossed in his own that she doubted – more like prayed – he didn't notice, because she just couldn't help herself.

His hair was in disarray, his clothes were dirty and torn, there was blood smeared across his features - needless to say he didn't look his best, and yet…he had never been more attractive in her eyes. His hair looked much as she imagined it would directly  _after_ , his dirty jeans clung to him and the torn clothing framed little windows of skin, and then there was the blood…argh…don't get her started on the blood.

Maybe it was the whole Tyler betraying her thing, maybe it was the whole Klaus going to end everyone who did her wrong, or maybe she was taking a trip to Looneyville – so not the one in West Virginia - because she was feeling inclined to jump his bones. Oh so  _wrong_.

 _Clearly insane_.

Then again, it had been an awfully  _long_  time  _and_  her raging vampire libido was a full on bitch  _and_  he was just  _so_  good looking  _and_  was there  _anything_  better than hot Vampire/Hybrid sex?

_Bad Caroline._

_Bad._

She had been in dire need of a distraction which thankfully – or not – the Hybrid himself provided when he decided Bonnie should bring back his brothers or rather assist in the enterprise. Caroline had determined that from her return to the living onwards Bonnie would no longer be taking part in anyone's hare-brained schemes because they only ever resulted in Bonnie getting hurt. She was a powerful Witch, no denying it, but all everyone ever seemed to do was take advantage of her good nature and require her to act to her own detriment – the Bennett legacy had been nothing more than a noose around her friend's neck. No more.

Times they were a changing Caroline decided, Klaus had quickly agreed that Bonnie would not be jeopardized and though that meant others would be forced to take those risks – something she wasn't overly comfortable with – she could live with that. More importantly Bonnie would live.

So with some degree of certainty surrounding her friend's prospects of continuing existence she had given Klaus a small smile, turned her back before she leaped into his lap and returned to blood bag guarding duty.

Which brought her to New Orleans dragging Katherine behind her, of the long list of things that didn't make sense in her present circumstances, her desire to make Katherine's life miserable wasn't one of them. Caroline understood perfectly why watching the older vampire suffer was fast becoming one of her favorite guilty pleasures – the woman had after all treated her appallingly badly even if you excluded the whole ending her human existence to turn her so she could be offered up as a sacrificial lamb later.

So when she had seen Katherine attempt to slink away at the airport she'd stopped her without a second thought, when it came time to get on the plane she'd pulled Katherine with her, and when Klaus had basically duck taped the doppelgänger into her seat she'd simply sat down beside her and watched his taut muscles at work.

A small part of her felt bad, felt as though shepherding Katherine into her new life as Klaus' blood bag was a poor reflection upon her as a human being, but a larger part of her felt like Katherine deserved it and was more than a little distracted by her hormone driven fantasies to give it much thought.

Whether this was yet another sign of just how deep into insanity she had fallen or evidence that she had never been all that magnanimous to start with she didn't feel like considering which was why she had pulled Katherine off the plane and deposited her in one of the waiting vehicles as soon as physically possible. She didn't want to have time to think about what she was doing and why, she just wanted to go already.

If only everyone else had been on the same page, but no, it seemed almost everyone was determined to delay their departure. Rebekah joined Bonnie out by the plane and she heard her own name mentioned, it appeared that the group was to split up.

"Are you my keeper?" Katherine sneered.

Caroline didn't respond, she didn't really know what to say.

"You know he's going to bleed me dry?"

"He needs Hybrids, he won't kill you," she wasn't sure if she was trying to comfort Katherine or herself, she suspected the latter.

"So it was the end of the world when he wanted to use Elena as a blood bag but it's fine if he uses me?" Katherine's voice was calm, somehow that made it worse, condemning.

"She didn't kill me, you did," but of course she didn't really believe that made it okay, it just made it easier.

"So this is revenge then?" the brunette asked flicking her curls back over her shoulder.

_Was it?_

"No," she answered quickly.

"I get it, the perky little cheerleader wants revenge on the nasty vampire that took her perfect little life from her, pathetic," she continued in that calm condemning voice.

"It's not about revenge."

"He killed my entire family, did you know that?"

There could be no doubt as to who the Doppelganger was referring, and not least because she did  _know_ , Elena had told her. It was among the many reasons she had clung to as to why Klaus and her could never happen. Caroline stared out the window, her eyes meeting Bonnie's she wondered what her best friend thought about Katherine predicament, wondered how she viewed Caroline's actions.

They had all of them had done terrible things, did that make them terrible people?

Katherine was not innocent, but perhaps once upon a time she was, perhaps the murder of her family turned her into the monster that suffocated Caroline in her hospital bed. Perhaps then Klaus was inadvertently responsible for that too.

Of all the things Katherine had done to her turning her was not something to hate her for she realized. Klaus was right, she did prefer the person she became, she wasn't a fan of silly little vapid human Caroline. She'd never really thought about it before, never considered that, though the Doppelganger did it to serve her own agenda, the woman had in actuality done her a favor.

Before she could consider just how she felt about that revelation a woman, scratch that vampire, in a nurse's uniform opened the door. "Hi, I'm Mia," she announced in greeting.

"Caroline, and this is Katherine," she gave Mia an expectant look wondering why she had approached them.

"Klaus sent me to look after Katherine," she advised with a big smile. "Now, Katherine if you could take these," she handed some pills and a bottle of water to the Doppelganger.

"What are they?" Katherine asked staring at them with an uneasy expression.

"Required," Mia's voice turned cold.

"What are they for?" Caroline asked uncertain how to proceed.

"The first of her fertility drugs of course," Mia's voice was once again friendly, clearly she wasn't a fan of humans or maybe just Katherine.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" she asked dumbfounded. Had the woman said fertility drugs?

"The fertility drugs...to allow us to harvest the eggs," she stated as though Caroline should have known this already.

"I'm not taking them," Katherine muttered.

"You don't have a choice my dear," nurse vamp made clear.

"I need to talk to Klaus, can you watch her?" Caroline asked feeling more than just a wee bit uncomfortable.

"Of course," the woman smiled at her, but the smile vanished as soon as she turned her eyes to Katherine.

Caroline exited the vehicle and as she did Mia got in, she suspected that the vampire would likely shove the pills down Katherine's throat in her absence but there was nothing she could do about that.

As she moved back towards the others she wondered what this new development meet for Katherine's continued survival. If Klaus intended to insure the continuation of the Doppelganger line was it possible that he did not intend to keep Katherine around for too much longer? And if he didn't, did that mean that he was going to let her go or did he intend to kill her?

Regardless of how she felt about Katherine she didn't think she could allow Klaus to kill her, and not simply because she was human now. Klaus had killed her family, made her run for 500 years, wasn't that enough?

She reached the others and was reminded of the exchange she had overheard prior to Katherine's verbal assault - it was a welcome relief to think of something other than Doppelganger however short such a reprieve might last.

* * *

Bonnie had followed Caroline off the plane, but hadn't followed her into one of the waiting vehicles like Stefan had. Instead she had waited for the Originals, well the live ones, it seemed that she had permanently inherited the company of the dead one. Throughout the flight he was relentless in his  _company -_  he seemed to delight at the tightening of her features, to triumphant each and every time her eyes narrowed in disgust. She hadn't gotten a single moment of rest the entire flight, it seemed as though he had been starved of attention and having gained hers - very reluctantly - appeared determined to keep it.

However hard she tried she couldn't seem to get rid of him, and she was beginning to think she never would. Why out of all the supernaturals who ever died she had to get stuck with Kol she would never understand, nor could she comprehend why she couldn't dismiss him. Jeremy didn't appear to have such trouble, it was only herself and Anna that had lingered with any degree of permanence. He loved them so dismissing them was difficult.

Bonnie hated Kol, so it really should have been a cinch, yet there he was...still hanging round like a bad smell.

 _"Best start on the herbs love, you're getting wrinkles,"_  he cooed in her ear.

"Back off," she snarled.

_"Now, darling I know we got off on the wrong foot, what with me trying to kill you so that you didn't release Silas and you trying to kill me so that you could release the original evil - didn't that just turn out well? - but...hmmm, where was I?"_

"You were shutting up," she hoped.

_"I see how it is, you don't want any distractions from the contemplation of my godly form, go ahead darling feast your eyes," he smirked, eyes sparkling._

"I'm going to find a spell to get rid of you, I swear I will," she threatened.

_"Hmmm, I don't think my siblings would take too kindly to that sugar plum. Best you concentrate on bringing me back to the land of the living and earning my gratitude."_

"I don't want your gratitude."

_"Don't be hasty, never has a recipient of my gratitude been disappointed," he winked at her._

"I think I'm going to throw up," she murmured.

_"You say such hurtful things my sweet," his eyes indicating he was anything but hurt. "You look in dire need of a bath, I know what you're thinking, but unfortunately I'm unable to assist you at present," his eyes swept her form._

Rebekah chose that moment to join them, Bonnie had more than enough of his thinly veiled propositions and was grateful for the interruption. "We are going to Elijah's house," the blonde announced.

"What about Caroline?" she asked her eyes drifting to find her friend staring back at her.

"She's going with Niklaus, not sure where exactly," the blonde Original advised drawing Bonnie's attention back on her.

Bonnie couldn't say she was overly surprised, it was clear from the fight on the tarmac that the group was going to need to split up. Either that, or Klaus was going to need to relinquish Katherine which she was dead set certain the Hybrid wouldn't even contemplate doing. Still she wasn't overly comfortable on being separated from Caroline. Having already left Elena, she didn't want to leave Caroline as well, and she especially didn't want to leave her best friend with Klaus.

Something had happened between them on the tarmac, something had changed - she couldn't put her finger on it, but she didn't like it and she knew deep in her bones that she shouldn't leave her friend alone with him. She had a bad feeling about those two.

_"No need to worry about your tasty friend Bonbon, my brother will see to it that each and every one of her needs is sated," the never ending annoyance added his two cents._

Because that was an image she needed in her head. Bonnie turned her attention back to the vehicles and noticed that yet another had arrived, "is that a nurse?"

"Yes," Rebekah answered.

"Why do we need a nurse?" she asked before giving it any thought.

With an  _oh please bitch_  look the blonde answered, "Katherine."

"Right," she'd momentarily forgotten about the woman, more like deliberately chosen not to think about her. Bonnie wasn't a fan, but the idea of Klaus using Katherine as a blood bag and creating a hybrid army wasn't something she was okay with. In fact she was so from okay with that it was ridiculous - the world didn't need more hybrids, the two in existence were two too many in her opinion - that said she was also very aware that she wasn't in my position to prevent it hence the whole consigning Katherine's predicament to the recesses of her mind. The nurse was standing by the vehicle in which both Katherine and Caroline were seated, Bonnie watched as the nurse entered and Caroline exited - a changing of the guard if you will.

Caroline then approached them with a dissatisfied look. "Why does Bonnie have to go with you?" she directed at Rebekah as soon as she joined them.

"Shouldn't you be guarding the blood bag?" Rebekah replied in a bored manner.

"Like you didn't know that nurse is a vamp," she waited with a raised eyebrow, no doubt for an answer to her first question.

"We discussed this on the plane love," Klaus entered the conversation.

"She can research anywhere, we don't have to split up," she said with narrow eyes.

_"Is she going to slap or straddle him I wonder," Kol said with a big grin._

"Will you shut up already!"

And every eye turned to her. "Not you...I mean...Kol, how did you put up with him for a thousand years?" _  
_

"I daggered him and kept him in a box for a few centuries," Klaus responded with a smirk, but his eyes didn't leave Caroline.

_"Have you meet my brother the arrogant arse?"_

"Caroline I'll be fine," she ignored the Originals and focussed on her friend.

"Strictly research only, no magic, no putting yourself in danger or else," Caroline instructed in her stern uncompromising voice. "I'll see you soon," she told her and pulled her in for a hug.

Bonnie relaxed into her friend's arms.

_"I've always had a soft spot for girl on girl action," Kol piped up._

He was so far beyond annoying, she was going to have to either bring him back or pack him off to oblivion.


	24. Chapter 24

The house where Klaus had deposited them wasn't quite up to Original standards, but it was more than adequate and so large that one could easily lose themselves which she imagined would be handy when she felt like hiding from the object of her dirty thoughts. Caroline thought the appeal of the place for Klaus was likely in its distance from Elijah's mansion which she found out was about as far as one could get without downgrading to a shack or as anyone but a Mikaelson would term, a middle class house.

It wasn't so much run down as outdated, possessing a homely film noir feel to it which might have had her checking the walls for Norman Bates' peep holes were she not already a monster of the scarier variety. Klaus had assured them that he would have the place modernized to his exacting style standards in short order, she took that to mean that as soon as he had acquired adequate numbers of Hybrid slaves.

It may not have been grand as yet, but Klaus' tour had included a detailed explanation of what he envisioned as though it was imperative that she approve. She had listened patiently as they moved from what was to be the ground floor's grand foyer down some stairs to the basement - not to be confused with the lower basement which was naturally the dungeon because what Mikaelson residence was without one? The basement was to be home to the games room, billiard room, entertainment room (apparently they were not all just different names for the same room, excuse her), the wine cellar, laundry, a water closet (read toilet), and because one must have one on each and every floor of one's mansion a full bar - that at least she could understand.

Upon the ground floor there was to be the main kitchen with butler's pantry, a scullery, a study, a studio for you know who, the "smaller" music room, a sitting room, a formal living room, a sun room - just don't ask - an informal dinning room, the breakfast room, another three water closets, the library, and a full bar. The first floor would be home to a ball room, multiple water closets, a couple powder rooms, yet another sitting room or two, a formal dinning room, a drawing room, and, you guessed it, a full bar. The second floor was predominately living, bedrooms, bathrooms, a solar at each end, another study, and a sitting room encompassing a full bar.

By the time he was done explaining all that she wasn't overly interested in hearing about his plans for the grounds which he seemed peachy keen to explain next and told him as much. She might have gone on to detail her views on slave labor and said a couple less than complementary things about him. He could have taken that better, then again he could have taken it much worse.

Following the minor temper tantrum in which he completed a little demolition ahead of schedule, Klaus demonstrated his bi-polar personality by suddenly becoming downright affable and leading her to a room he had previously bypassed opening the door with a flourish and announcing that it was to be her bedroom.

Considering the state of the rest of the house, she didn't have high expectations, but considering the sparkle in his eyes and how his mouth twitched as though he was suppressing a smile perhaps she should have. It turned out that one room in that house had been renovated and it belonged to her.

Caroline had gasped when she entered, it was truly beautiful, and quite frankly the bedroom of her dreams. A warm feeling had spread throughout her body and a smile had stretched itself across her face, without thinking she had wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him with everything she had. About a minute in as she inhaled his intoxicating scent she realized her mistake. It was exceedingly unwise to put herself in such close proximity, still she couldn't help but compound her stupidity by trailing her hands down his back, barely managing to drum up enough will power to retrieve her hands before they found their way over his ass.

It was about this time, whilst in the process of removing her pervy appendages, that she recalled that Klaus wasn't just showing her the house, but Stefan too - if it were possible for a vampire to die from embarrassment she would have.

"You're welcome love," Klaus made it ten times worse by breathing out the words in an overly sexy manner, completing the panty dropping sentence with a stupid smirk and eyes that she was fairly certain had been darkened by lust.

Caroline blinked hard, forced herself to control her rapidly accelerating heart, grabbed the hand of a quizzical looking Stefan and dragged him into her brand spanking new Klaus free bedroom pulling the door firmly shut behind them. It was not at all surprising to hear Klaus' soft chuckle before his feet took him elsewhere so she could indulge in a sigh of relief.

"What's going on Caroline?" Stefan asked shortly after Klaus' footfalls were no longer audible.

"I don't know what you mean," she avoided his eyes like the plague and resolved to have a nice long chat with the brother's Grimm because this was just getting ridiculous. This insanity was oh so clearly a Connie blood related issue because she was damn sure she hadn't filled her days jumping from one sexy Klaus fantasy to the next prior to time in twilight zone.

"What was that?" he motioned towards the door with his hand.

"Uh?" she gave him her best ever dumb blonde impersonation and received in return a less than impressed  _don't even try it_  look which was just like Stefan's "It's Tuesday" look but his eyes were squinty-er. She huffed the air out of her lungs before plopping herself down on her new, and heavenly, bed - she could have laid there forever. If only Stefan would have let her.

"Caroline?"

"Fine," she huffed. "I don't know, okay, there's something wrong with me."

"And Klaus and you?" he sat down beside her.

"It's this blood thing," there was zero conviction in her voice.

"And...?" he asked as he lay down as though aware how much more difficult it would be to tell him if she had to look him in the eye.

"I may have certain...uh...urges," she wasn't about to tell him she had feelings for the Hybrid.

"Urges?" she could feel him smiling.

"I can't help it, it's the blood," she bit her lower lip.

"So these...urges," now she was certain he was trying not to laugh.

Caroline yanked a pillow from the top of the bed and sent it into his stomach with enough force to make him groan and the pillow burst sending duck down feather floating through the air. "You broke my pillow," she pouted.

"I missed you," he pushed himself up and turned to face her, his face swimming into her field of vision, feathers lacing through his hair.

She reached up and one by one pulled the feathers from his locks, "I'm sorry I didn't come sooner."

"You came, that's all that matters," he smiled down at her.

"Why didn't you stay with Elena and Damon?" it seemed she was on a roll for inappropriate behavior today.

"I trust you," he told her, the smile disappeared as sadness radiated from his eyes.

"I missed you too," she smiled brightly, willing him to smile back.

Somehow he managed it.

She was more than aware that it was the last thing he felt like doing, high on the list would have to have been ripping someone's throat out in pursuit of that crimson ambrosia, but he didn't race out into the city to sate his painful cravings, no, he lay on the bed with her and smiled because that was what she wanted him to do. When he clearly felt like crying, he smiled, for her, his best friend - she didn't think she deserved him.

* * *

His absence had not been of a long duration, but New Orleans had dramatically changed during it. It might not have been noticeable to the majority of the earth's population, nor even the majority of the Supernaturals among them, but to him it was striking.

The first, and most noticeable, was the fact that the werewolf population of New Orleans had skyrocketed - Marcel had consigned them outside the city limits and aside from Hayley (who had strangely been able to wander the streets without being accosted however long before the witches took her captive), he hadn't meet a single one during his most recent of visits. Yet now they walked the streets, seemingly without fear of reprisal.

The other changes were less obvious, the subtle change in atmosphere, the background humming of discontent now morphed into an openly angry buzz – the gazes once lowered in deference now level in contempt. Witches and werewolves were without fear it seemed.

Which served his purpose well, seeing as he was looking for Hybrid candidates. Each werewolf he encountered he cataloged for future reference, aware that each of them were surely on vervain but knowing that such measures what do them no good for what he had planned. He observed them, watched where they went, who they spoke to - made note of where they would most likely be found when he was desirous of their company - of their service. He had promised Caroline a palace after all, and regardless of her personal prejudices he would use everything and everyone at his disposal to provide just that and more.

Near the beginning of their acquaintance he had promised her the world and he was determined to deliver, he really was, but first he felt the need to take for himself the crown of New Orleans. It would, he had no doubt, be as difficult to win as his Queen was, but he was determined to win them both. In both quarters he had reason to hope as he never had before.

When he had told her at her graduation that he intended to be her last love he had hoped more than believed that to be the case, but lately she had given him reason enough to believe his chances of success were higher she would have him believe. She was not so against him, so against them, as her words on the matter suggested - she betrayed her thoughts every time she looked at him.

And as for his quest to reclaim his crown, well now he had Katherine and Marcel's yoke on the witches was dead and buried. This latest trip was not like the former, this time he was not here to pander, to pretend he was something other than he was. This time there was nothing to stop him from taking what he will, this time he was in control, even when the undercurrent suggested chaos reigned.

It felt dangerous, on the verge of exploding in violence, even as oblivious humans continued their drunken marches from bar to bar.

It was early evening, the sun beginning to deep below the horizon, time for the night walkers to come out to play – the air thick with anticipation, like a rolling fog. Klaus stood unmoving, waiting to see what darkness would bring, waiting for the eruption, waiting…

But when the sun departed for the day nothing happened. The humans continued on their merry way, the werewolves continued unchallenged, and the witches sustained their contempt full gazes. He stood alone, the only being with vampire blood surrounded by their enemies wondering where the rulers of New Orleans were hiding and why. Could they have given up so easily? He didn't think so.

"Perhaps they are waiting for something," a woman, a Witch, spoke behind him.

He didn't turn to greet her, "and what pray tell are they waiting for?"

She came to stand beside him, "who knows how vampires think? I am Sabine and you are the Original Hybrid."

He wasn't surprised that she knew who he was, he rather doubted there was a Supernatural in New Orleans who didn't, but he was somewhat surprised that she had chosen to approach him. He wondered at it, at her, but not for long.

"I was a member of Sophie's coven," she told him.

Klaus raised an eyebrow but offered no other reaction to her admission. Not too long ago he suspected that such an admission would have been enough for him to instantly slit her throat, today however he was not feeling so inclined. In fact, he was feeling abnormally happy. Sabine stiffened suddenly as though a shock had traveled through her body and then she turned towards him, her brown eyes turning black.

Though the words came out of Sabine's mouth they were not hers, "the time for play is over Niklaus," she channeled another. Sabine's arm rose to point at a church in the distance, he turned in its direction at the precise moment that an explosion retched the air, the church was engulfed in flames. "The war starts now," she uttered and then shock as she came back to herself, the black receding.

"I think Marcel is welcoming you home," Sabine spoke her eyes fixed on the burning church.

"Children can be so unruly at times," he told her with a smirk.

"Did you kill Davina?" she almost whispered.

He considered her for a moment, pondering whether or not to tell her the truth, "no, it was another."

"You were there," it wasn't a question. "He will come at you with everything he has."

"No doubt," his senses tingled. Somewhere just beyond his vision they were circling.

"I can help you," she offered, nervousness crept into her voice.

"That remains to be seen," and flashed forward into the darkness pushing his hand through the vampire's chest as though it was made of paper, clutching the man's heart in his hand. "Hello Diego, miss me?"

The vampire had time enough to glare his response before Klaus pulled his heart from his body; he was the first of many as the darkened side streets of New Orleans became a battleground. They could not kill him, but oh how they tried - bathing in the blood of Marcel's sycophants he felt renewed, this was his town and nothing, no one, could stop him from taking it back.


	25. Chapter 25

" _Booooonnnnniiiiieeee…Booooonnnnniiiiieeee," the voice, the never-ending annoyance drew her from her dreams._

She came back into consciousness in stages, first there was the " _huh, what?_ " stage where she wondered what was going on, then the " _oh right"_  stage in which she put a name to the voice, followed closely by the " _I'm going to kill him"_  stage which lead to the most annoying of all stages " _please kill me"_  or the " _he's already dead and I can't get rid of him"_  stage at which point she was always very much awake and ready for another day of torture.

" _Bonnie," he whispered from an uncomfortable sounding distance._

When Bonnie opened her eyes she supposed she shouldn't have found it surprising that his face was inches from her own, but still she started, rolled, and landed with a thump on the floor.

" _Ah good, you're awake!" he said gleefully._

She stared balefully at him whilst rubbing her rump which she was certain would be showing a lovely bruise later in the day to commemorate her early morning encounter with the floorboards. "What time is it?" she commanded rather than asked.

" _Do you see a watch?" he enquired holding both arms up to display his empty wrists._

Bonnie used the bed to drag herself to her feet and turned her eyes to the alarm clock on the bedside table which incidentally would have most assuredly been visible to Kol. "It's four twenty-six;" she felt like crying in frustration. "Four twenty-six in the morning Kol!"

" _Why, so it is," he gave her his most irritating smile. "Shall we get started or did you want to make yourself presentable first?" his eyes travelled from her feet to the top of head before he gave a decidedly amused sounding snort, "on second thoughts, we really are low on time, perhaps a quick shower and fresh clothing instead?"_

As though she was an unattractive hag, or something. "I'm going back to bed," she announced before diving beneath the welcoming covers.

" _Now, now Bonbon, the day is fleeting and there is much to be done," he was close again, his breath was tickling her ear._

No, that couldn't have been right, she was certain ghosts were incapable of such things. "The day is long and I only got to sleep four hours ago," she was determined she would say no more on the matter, closed her eyes tight and tried to ignore him.

" _And I would let you sleep if only you didn't insist upon wasting half the hours in the day on researching ways to get rid of me, but alas you continue and so shall I," now she swore she could feel his breath at the back of her neck._

She wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep and forget that Kol existed, but then she felt someone's fingers trailing down her back, from the top of her shoulder all the way down to where the bruises were likely forming. She shrieked and rolled yet again, landing on the hard wooden floor with a resounding thump, all the air escaping from her lungs in one loud Oomph as pain reverberated up her spine.

Her eyes snapped open, this time for real, and came to rest on his overly smug face.

" _Sweet dreams darling?" he asked with what she might have mistaken for an innocent expression but for the devil dancing in his eyes._

"I hate you," she seethed on the floor.

" _Words hurt, you know," he pouted; puppy dog eyes and everything._

She scoffed and then got to her feet marched across the room into the adjoining bathroom and slammed the door to behind her. She rested her forehead against the door taking slow even breathes in an effort to calm herself; unfortunately Kol didn't consider the bathroom off-limits.

" _Don't just loiter, cupcake, snap to it," he hooted._

Bonnie turned to look at him, finding him balanced upon the bathroom counter smirk firmly in place, the devil wrapped in attractive packaging. "I need to shower," she told him coolly.

" _No one's stopping you," and he had the gall to wink at her._

"Get out," somehow the words made it passed her bared teeth.

" _You really are quite moody this morning; that time of the month?" he clearly thought he was hilarious._

Oh how she hated him, she wondered if it was possible to give aneurysms to ghosts.

" _Why Ms Bennett you look positively homicidal, how delightful," he smiled almost sweetly before disappearing from sight. "Don't dally," his voice floated through the door._

"Thank God," she said out loud.

" _Now darling, I've told you before, no need for formal titles Kol is fine," she could feel him smirking._

They had been in New Orleans for a month now, and she was no closer to finding a way to get rid of her ghostly appendage - despite burning the candle at both ends. As the water made a trail down her body, she closed her eyes and considered her options. One month in and she was still no closer to determining why she couldn't tune Kol out or why he was the only ghost she had contact with, perhaps it was time for her to consider the unthinkable and seriously start looking for a way to return the most annoying Original to the land of the living.

She sighed, how was it that she always ended up lumbered with the most unpleasant of tasks? Well, her and Caroline. She sighed yet again, Caroline had spent the last month across town hold up in Klaus' house – Bonnie had been banned from visiting, but they were allowed to talk on the phone every day or two. Her best friend didn't sound overly bothered by her enforced confinement, advising that the house was huge and the grounds lovely, but it was not lost on Bonnie how the subject of her host was avoided.

The one time Bonnie had directly asked her friend about the Hybrid Caroline had cut the phone call short advising that she had to go as Stefan was eyeing one of the workmen. Bonnie knew for a fact that they only "workmen" allowed in that house were of the Hybrid variety, Elijah had told her as much. Bonnie was worried for her friend, she very much wanted to see her, to make sure that she was okay because she was dead set certain that Caroline was hiding something from her. Something in relation to Klaus.

Unfortunately such a face to face would not be taking place in the near future, they were all magically barred from entering the Original Hybrid's home, much to the elder Original's displeasure.

Elijah had returned to the living shortly after they arrived at his New Orleans' mansion and his first order of business had been to track down his brother and retrieve Katherine from his clutches – Bonnie who wasn't overly keen on Klaus possessing the ability to procreate Hybrids had assisted in locating the new residence, but she was unable to undo the spell that kept them out.

It soon became clear that no one was able to enter Klaus' new home without his express permission which, it turned out, was not to be granted to any of the inhabitants of Elijah's mansion – Rebekah was violently offended, but Bonnie was rather grateful. Or rather, she would have been but for that fact that it separated her from Caroline.

A week in and a brand spanking new Hybrid had turned up on their doorstep with a phone for Bonnie, in order that she would be able to speak with Caroline, and a blatantly obvious message for Elijah – Katherine had been put to use. Elijah had retreated to his study without comment; Rebekah had scoffed before announcing she was going shopping and flounced out the door; Bonnie had stared at the phone then thanked the Hybrid and closing the door while Kol had spent the whole time laughing as though it was the funniest thing he had ever witnessed.

In the weeks that followed she had learnt that Klaus was cutting a bloody path through New Orleans, not from Caroline who was silent on the subject, but from Elijah who seemed to have decided that she needed to be kept informed. Marcel had yet to make an appearance, but there were rumours that he was not idle that he was planning something. Werewolves had returned in large numbers, but they were strangely inactive which was also true of the witches. In the few times she had left the property Bonnie had the distinct impression that New Orleans was balanced on the edge of a knife.

" _Didn't I tell you not to dawdle," the devil's spawn spoke._

Her eyes snapped open to discover that she was no longer showering alone, she grabbed the towel she had hung over the shower door and hurriedly covered her naked body as Kol's sparkling eyes continued to drink her in.

She really didn't think she could survive him much longer.

* * *

It had been two months and Rebekah was beginning to wonder if Marcel had turned tail and run. It wouldn't have been the first cowardly act he'd committed and unlikely to be his last. Call her bitter, but she kind of wanted to watch him suffer and was decisively disappointed at the possibility that he could have run denying such an opportunity.

Still, turning over a new optimistic leaf, she decided that she could provide her own entertainment and in the absence of the guttersnipe that consigned her to a box in favor of becoming immortal she would make do with his  _Queen_. So Rebekah was excessively happy to find the human still among New Orleans bar-tending paternity. "Cami," she called out to her with a big friendly smile. "Lovely to see you again."

The woman looked slightly puzzled at first as though trying to place her, but then she returned a warm smile of her own, "you're one of Marcel's friends."

Well that was one word for it, she mused. "Indeed, how have you been?" she asked as though she actually cared to hear the answer.

"Good, though..." she paused, seemingly reluctant to continue, darkness clouding her eyes. "We haven't seen you a while," she changed the subject quickly recovering.

Rebekah was genuinely interested in what the blonde human was going to say, but she didn't get the opportunity to pursue it for at the precise moment a large hand clasped itself around her upper arm.

"She's been out of town," Marcel's deep voice purred close to her ear. "Cami would you get us a drink, Rebekah and I have much to discuss," he said giving the human a genuine warm smile which he dropped the moment the woman turned and his gaze meet Rebekah's.

"And here I thought you'd run for the hills," she said in her sweetest tone of voice.

"This is my town," and cocky Marcel was back.

"Not for too much longer I imagine," she quietly sneered back before taking a seat as Cami placed a drink in front of her. "Thanks Cami," she continued on in that sugary rich tone that even she found grating.

"Jealous?" he dared to ask.

"And why would I be jealous of dinner?" she shot back smirking.

"Why are you here Rebekah?"

"Dinner," she let her eyes drift to Cami.

"Don't touch her," he was practically breathing fire.

"I'm an Original, I'll do what I want, when I want," she informed him coolly.

"Not in my town you won't," he said it with such conviction that for a moment she wondered if she should consider taking him seriously.

"How exactly do you propose to stop me?" she enquired, allowing a touch of curiosity to bleed from her eyes.

"Try and find out," his voice went impossibly lower.

"And deny my brother the honors?" she smiled brightly though she felt a touch uneasy. "You know how Nik gets."

"Feel free to tell him where to find me," he told her before gesturing to the door in dismissal.

He was unnaturally self-assured for a dead man, she would have to find out why that was, and fast. "I'll see you later," she called out to Cami as she exited the bar, she felt Marcel's glare burning into her back.

It took her no time at all to reach Elijah's mansion, swinging open the door with a bang she called out, "Elijah!"

"Must you shout?" he asked her as he exited his study with a disapproving frown.

"Must you always wear a suit?" she marched towards him. "Marcel's still in town and he's hiding something."

He raised an eyebrow as if to ask why that should concern him.

"He isn't afraid of us," she said lowly.

"Not everyone is Rebekah, perhaps he is resigned to his fate," ever the voice of reason.

"I don't think so," a foreboding feeling was churning her stomach, "I think he believes he will win this battle with Nik."

"The only weapon that could kill Niklaus is in his possession and were Marcel to somehow get a hold of it and use it against him he would kill himself in the act. Niklaus is his Sire," he spoke calmly.

"What if..." she paused running through possibilities, "what if that girl found another way? What if she found a way to both kill an Original and sever the bloodlines?"

"However powerful a witch that girl may have been, I do not think it likely and have you forgotten Rebekah that the girl is dead?"

"I haven't forgotten," she told him, mind still spinning.

"Don't you think that if Marcel had the knowledge and means to kill our brother he would have done so by now?"

"I suppose," still there was something off with Marcel, he was confident, he believed he would win out. "What if he has help?"

He raised gave her yet another eyebrow raise.

"It's not that far-fetched, you know," she sniped becoming exceedingly annoyed that he was always so quick at dismissing her concerns.

"If it were possible don't you think one of our many enemies across the centuries would have..."

She cut him off, "what about Connie? She brought Bonnie back to life if you believe Caroline." Which she knew he did.

"Why would she help Marcel?" he asked, seemingly determined to make her feel ridiculous.

"She wouldn't," Nik's voice cut in, "but she isn't the only one of her kind."


	26. Chapter 26

It had really only been a matter of time before boredom made her stir crazy.

However much she loved Stefan there was such a thing as too much quality time and it wasn't as though Katherine was the best company. In fact the doppelganger was insufferably bad company and not due to the fertility treatments because apparently that had come to an end, she presumed successfully but didn't feel inclined to delve deeper – test tube doppelgangers were firmly in the category of things she did not want to know about, even though she did kind of understood where Klaus was coming from. It was just…eww.

For reasons passing understanding - wasn't hindsight a bitch? – Caroline had insisted that Katherine's banishment to the dungeon cease and she be allowed to roam as freely through the house and grounds as Stefan and her were. Klaus hadn't seemed overly impressed when she approached him about it, but he hadn't put up much of a fight, so in short order Katherine was housed in her very own newly renovated room. If Caroline had realized that Katherine would be so  _present_ she might not have gone to bat on her behalf – still she wasn't about to tell Klaus to return her to the dungeon, so she had to live with it, live with her.

But regardless of the company, had Katherine actually been pleasant at any point during any day, she still would have been inching to leave. She'd never been to New Orleans, she'd never really been anywhere, she was dying to go exploring. However lovely Klaus was not to be persuaded however.

"It's lucky you're not allowed to go out, if I looked like that dreary I'd stake myself," Katherine's snippy voice invaded her hearing as the woman joined her in the main kitchen.

She sighed lowly enough that the woman wouldn't hear her before plastering a very big, very fake smile on her face, "and a good morning to you too Katherine."

Thankfully at that moment Stefan made his entrance, he was very careful to never be alone with Katherine, his Ripper tendencies still too close to the surface. It made for a very compelling reason to have Katherine's bedroom situated as far away from his as possible, which Caroline found exceedingly convenient being that his was directly across from hers. Still there was no avoiding her in the common areas, in fact it almost seemed as though she sought them out…well not so much Stefan the vampire that wanted to bleed her dry.

"Morning Katherine," he greeted her from a respectable distance before taking slow steady steps to join Caroline by the fridge, careful to give Katherine a wide berth. When he was within touching distance he reached out and pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly - Caroline could feel his body vibrating slightly, the Ripper always fighting the strongest for control at the dawning of a new day.

Katherine's eyes followed him warily, Caroline wouldn't be allowing him to take an early morning sip from her veins, but being that there had already been one unfortunate  _incident_  whilst the doppelganger was in the care of one of Klaus' Hybrids - who was suspiciously absent following - Caroline didn't really blame her. Caroline turned to the fridge and handed him a specially marked blood bag which she had earlier retrieved from the large walk-in fridge in the lower basement - being that they couldn't leave and animal hunting opportunities were limited to say the least Klaus' Hybrid's were pilfering from the animal blood banks to keep Stefan from turning full-on Ripper. To insure Stefan didn't start gorging himself on the overly healthy stash of human blood that resided in the same walk-in fridge Klaus had consented to his witch working a little extra magic and banning Stefan from the dungeon level - much like everyone else seemed to be from the property.

The zero visitor policy was yet another thing that instilled in her a growing urge to test the boundaries of the spell, even though Stefan had received a decisively unpleasant shock with accompanying skin sizzlingly and two day headache when he had thrown himself at its edges shortly after the fangs in Katherine's neck episode.

Stefan drew her out of her thoughts with a sigh decisively more disappointed than satisfied as he reached the end of his bag - she watched as his gaze involuntarily traveled to monitor the pulsing of Katherine's carotid artery.

"Time to walk the grounds, Stef," she announced latching on to his arm and pulling her behind her towards the bay doors off one of the many sitting rooms.

"Inspired idea love," those docile tones invaded her senses.

"I meant Stefan and me, alone, like you're not invited," she made a conscious effort not to look at him which of course he ruined by stepping directly in front of her.

"We need to have a little chat Caroline, I'm sure Stefan can find something to amuse himself, right mate?" his voice was soft, but demanding none-the-less.

Even with her eyes focused upon her painted toenails, she was aware when his gaze left her to meet Stefan's. Her best friend tossed her to the lions, "sure, I'll be in my room."

"Katherine, go with Marcus, he is to keep an eye on you," Klaus instructed before grabbing Caroline's arm and propelling her out the bay doors. They walked side by side for a few minutes, neither speaking - Caroline looked everywhere but at him.

"Caroline," he breathed out her name.

She glanced at him sideways and sincerely wished she hadn't, he was Viagra for the eyes. White Henley, tight black jeans, piercing eyes, bed hair, god-like physic and those full raspberry lips that had began to infiltrate her dreams as surely as they did her waking fantasies. She swore she was turning into some sex starved teenager - okay, so she actually was one, still, the man didn't play fair. No one should look that good in the morning, let along all the time. Over the months she had resided in his house - now all renovated and sparkly - her  _urges_ had not only continued, but intensified.

"You didn't come home last night," she spoke to distract her from warm tingly feelings he induced by his mere presence.

"No, I was at Elijah's," he told her, hands moving to grasp behind his back unfairly highlighting the muscles of his chest.

Why was all his clothing so tight anyway? "You've spent every day there for the last couple weeks," she said.

His eyebrow rose, a smirk began to turn his features, "did you miss me?"

 _Yes._ "Like a hole in the head," she said with an indignant scoff. "What did you need to talk about?" she changed the subject.

"I need you to contact Connie, as you call her," he got straight to the point.

"We're going on a road trip," she thrilled before she understood his meaning. "No, wait! You want to snap my neck again?" he was suddenly less like Viagra for the eyes and way more troll like.

"I need some information that only she can provide," he told her.

And she was the only one who could contact Connie, "where are the boys?" David, Adam and Gabe had left directly after their arrival in New Orleans stating that they had business but would return shortly - their idea of shortly and hers were two very distinct things.

"I'm afraid I cannot locate them sweetheart," he turned her towards him, their gazes meeting.

"Fine, what do I need to ask her?" his eyes were more blue today, she noted absently.

"We need to know how many of her kind are in our world and if any of them are in New Orleans, we also need to know if there is a way for us to kill them," he spoke quickly as though worried she might change her mind.

"There's only one," she responded just as quickly.

He cocked his head, "she told you there was one?"

"Yes, well she might have said he  _appears_  to be only one left," she watched as his eyes narrowed.

"Why didn't you tell me?" his tone turned cold, he was clearly fuming.

"I didn't realize it was important," not entirely true, but he hadn't exactly been around enough to tell.

"And is he in New Orleans?" he hissed the question through his teeth.

Connie hadn't actually said, yet... "I think so, she said something about a girl that she had killed, said that he had made her powerful..." she paused thinking, trying to recall everything Connie had told her. "She needed me to be here," she said slowly.

He nodded in understanding, "so he is here then."

"There are weapons, at least she said that some of them had died," she continued to review every conversation.

"Perhaps the swords that David and Adam wielded," he said clearly thinking out loud.

"Or not," David's voice rang out.

Caroline turned towards the sound finding David and Adam approaching them a human pace. "Gabe went to Elijah's to help out Bonnie," Adam explained the witch's absence.

"I was beginning to think you were not coming back," Caroline gave them each a welcoming smile.

The two shared an uneasy look. "We were regretfully delayed," Adam advised.

"So you're looking for a beating then?" David directed at Klaus who offered no answer but a raised eyebrow. "You can't kill him, no weapon in this world can."

"So which world do we need to go to?" she asked.

"None you can return from," Adam ended the discussion.

"I don't suppose your Mistress would do the honors?" Klaus put forward.

Neither David nor Adam offered an answer, Caroline suspected it was because they didn't know, but she did. "She intends to," she answered for them.

"Let's hope we are still among the living when she gets around to it," Klaus said lowly before storming off.

"And welcome back," she smiled sweetly at them, trying very hard not to focus on Klaus' retreating ass.

"We best get situated," Adam advised and then they followed the same path as Klaus back to the house.

Not inclined to deal with an angry Klaus, a vindictive Katherine or a Ripper Stefan, Caroline flashed to the woods at the southern end of the property and sat herself down a dead log at the very edge of the spelled prison. She sat there enjoying the alone time for at least an hour before she heard someone approaching. Holding back a sigh she rose from her makeshift chair to greet whomever felt the need to intrude, it took her a couple of seconds to realize that whomever they were they were not coming from the house - they were clearly on the other side of the border. A wave of panic splash through her, she contemplated flashing back to the house to tell the others, but listening to the footfalls of the obviously Supernatural being she thought that there was something familiar about them.

A minute later their owner came into view and all thoughts of alerting the others flew from her mind, "Tyler?"

His mouth fell open in shock, "Caroline?" he looked at her as though she was an apparition. He seemed dazed as he walked towards her and then he hit the spell. His expression went from confused to tortured, he was thrown back with force and she gasped loudly as he crashed into a tree. Without thinking Caroline flashed to his side, the spell having no effect upon her. "Oh my God Tyler, are you alright?"

His head rose from the ground, his eyes meeting hers, and then he started laughing. She briefly wondered if he had done himself permanent injury, but then he jumped to his feet pulling her up with him.

"I'm fine," he told her once he finally settled down. His hands cupped her face, "it's really you."

"Yup," she was kind of lost for words which was funny because she had an awful lot to say to him. An awful lot to ask him. While she was busy thinking of how best to start, he leaned in and captured her lips in a soft kiss that rendered her both speechless and immobile at first, but when he sought to deepen it she regain the use of her facilities and sent him flying back into the spelled border. Caroline felt a certain amount of guilty pleasure as she watched him fly back passed her and collide with another tree.

It took him a wee bit longer to find his feet after that, but eventually he managed it. "Caroline, what the hell?" he asked eyes radiating hurt.

"Are you kidding me?" she hissed back at him. "I  _know_  Tyler," she turned and marched back over the protective line. She had a feeling that the two 'Hybrid versus tree' incidents had raised alarm bells and that when Klaus arrived he would be angry enough without her demonstrating how the spell didn't bind her.

Tyler at least respected her enough not to feign ignorance, "Klaus wants to kill her Caroline, she need my help."

"Hayley is a treacherous little bitch who almost got me killed," she fumed.

"She has a baby Caroline," his tone was chastising as though she was the bad guy.

"Did you miss the part where she tried to kill me?" she spat the words at him.

"That wasn't her fault Care, she was a prisoner, the witches thought she was pregnant with  _Klaus_ ' baby for Christ's sake," he defended Hayley and spat Klaus' name with venom.

"Everyone has a choice Tyler, she chose to put me in danger, it was all  _her_ ," she paused for breath, tears building in her eyes. "You had a choice, you gave up," her voice broke a little as she said it.

"I love you," he said softly, his eyes imploring her to understand.

"Why are you here?" she needed to know.

He hesitated for a moment. "I'm here to take you home," he held his hand out to her, he seemed to expect she would take it.

"I am home," she believed that, but she didn't believe him. Something told her he hadn't come for her, he had seemed so shocked when he saw her she was certain he hadn't known she was here.

"This is Klaus' house Care, how can you feel at home here? With  _him_?" he looked so disappointed in her.

"Why are you really here?" she asked him again, but she rather thought she knew the answer. He was here for revenge - he was here for Klaus.

"Yes, Tyler why are you here?" speak of the devil. Klaus, who she was sure had been observing them for some time now, came forward to stand beside her.

"I'm here for Caroline," he told his Sire, chin up and challenging.

"I'm not going with you Ty; you made your choice and it wasn't me," a part of her despaired, but another was relieved.

"I thought you were dead Care, but I didn't choose her she needed help is all," he spoke with conviction.

"I didn't mean Hayley," she moved closer till there was only the thin line that the spell occupied between them. "You don't love me as much as you hate him," she spoke softly enough so that only Tyler heard her. "Run Tyler, if you stay here you'll die," she continued in that soft voice.

"He's the enemy Care, he'll always be the enemy," he didn't bother to adjust his volume, she could sense the anger radiating off Klaus behind her.

Tyler's eyes bore into hers, his gaze searched hers before his features twisted into an ugly blend of disgust and anger, his eyes turning that dangerous yellow, "are you with  _him_?"

Klaus flashed forward and anticipating it she flung her arm around his waist, she managed to cease his forward momentum, but she was certain she would only hold him for a short duration.

"Run Tyler!"

And run he did.


	27. Chapter 27

It had passed the point of frustrating, it was fast approaching infuriating. A thousand years of living had taught her a degree of patience, but not nearly enough to deal with the snail pace of Bonnie Bennett. It wasn't like the witch had suddenly forgotten the spell that brought back the weepy Doppelganger's brother, so it really shouldn't have taken months to figure out how to adapt it. The whole "the veil is back up" excuse was utter rubbish, the bitch was deliberately stalling and Rebekah had had enough.

"Up," she ordered the sleeping witch from bed, assisting her by forcefully removing the blankets and opening the curtains.

"What?" Bonnie asked groggily her arm shielding her eyes against the dawning sun.

"You have fifteen minutes; shower, change and be by the front door ready to leave," she left the room without further comment, a large part of her wanted the witch to test the bounds of her patience further so that she might drag the witch through New Orleans as bare as the day of her birthing. Sadly Bonnie meet her at the door less than fifteen minutes later, not looking overly impressed but there – she suspected Kol might have encouraged the witch to accede to her demands thereby denying his sister the pleasure of humiliating the girl for her defiance.

"Where are we going?" the witch asked sleep still heavy in her voice.

"You'll find out soon enough," she replied and then situated herself in the front passenger seat of the SUV in which Gabe occupied the driver's seat. The moment Bonnie had dragged herself up into the back seat she motioned Gabe to get moving.

Half an hour later Bonnie was back in the land of slumber, Rebekah considered waking her, but thought better of it. Instead she turned her eyes on the view outside her window, the further from the New Orleans centre they got the more the picture outside her window resembled those of her memories. Decades past this had been her home; in her thousand years of living she had so few of them that each was as cherished as the loss of it was mourned. Not for the first time she wondered what her life would have been like had circumstances differed, had her father been defeated a century earlier, had Marcel chosen her over immortality, had her brothers cared more and worried less…

"We're here," Gabe announced pulling off to the side of the road. "We should continue on foot," he advised sounding somewhat nervous.

"Are you sure this witch can help?" Rebekah questioned.

"I was advised that she could, but that doesn't mean she will," he replied before taking a deep breath and exiting the vehicle.

Rebekah was quite certain that there was something he wasn't telling her, that there was a lot he wasn't telling her, but witches weren't exactly renowned for their candidness. She exited the vehicle, opened the backdoor and shook Bonnie awake.

"Where are we?" Bonnie's sleep heavy voice queried.

"Nowhere," she replied then grabbed the witch by the arm and dragged her after Gabe into the wilderness beyond.

"Fine, are you going to tell me why we are here at least?" Bonnie sounded as irritated as Rebekah felt.

"We are here to see a witch," she told her. Up ahead of them Gabe had come to a stop, seemingly reluctant to go any further. "Is there a problem?"

"No," he said without conviction. "It isn't…" he trailed off, apparently as unwilling to finish the sentence as he was to take another step.

Rebekah wondered how it was that Kol, he of the zero impulse control, had managed to not only abide but enjoy extended stints in the company of witches - in her experience they were insufferable at the best of times. Witches were nought but rules and condescension. Gabe continued his examination of his navel, so with an annoyed snort Rebekah left him to his contemplation and dragged Bonnie towards their destination, a small house in the middle of a clearing some five hundred feet further in.

Knocking was unnecessary as upon their arrival at the door it swung back to reveal a pretty dark-haired woman. "I've been expecting you," the woman stated with a welcoming smile. "Please come in," she said moving back to allow them entrance.

Rebekah had a sudden urge to turn around and go back to the SUV, though the woman's words were welcoming there was a dangerous air to her, malice in her eyes. She might have followed her instincts and made a hasty retreat if not for Bonnie slipping her arm from her grasp and striding inside – silently cursing the witch she followed her in. The interior of the house was as unassuming as the outside; it was impersonal having more resemblance to temporary accommodation than a home. If the witch actually lived here, her stay could not have been of a long duration.

"I'm Tessa," the witch announced her eyes focussed on Bonnie, "and you are Bonnie Bennett."

"Have we met?" Bonnie asked, though her expression indicated that the she believed that they had.

"We have now," the other witch evaded. "You must be Rebekah," she continued her eyes burning a hole through the Original vampire's before turning away. "What brings an Original and a Bennett to my door?"

"We were told that you possess a Gilmore with a spell of a particular nature," Rebekah answered carefully.

"Or of a particularly unnatural nature," the woman smiled widely.

Clearly the witch was aware of what they sought, "do you have it or not?" she asked her frustration apparent.

"Just what do you have to offer in return?" the witch asked boldly.

Rebekah was sorely tempted to snap the woman's neck then and there, but something told her Tessa was more than she appeared. The witch, Rebekah mused, might just have reason to be confident, reason to demand when others would beg - something in her eyes, a hidden power. "I'm sure we can reach some agreement," she smiled brightly masking her growing unease.

"Excellent, let me just get my things," the witch responded before disappearing further into the house.

"I guess she's coming with us," she said more to herself than her companion.

"There's something familiar about her, I know her somehow," Bonnie stated, her expression serious.

Rebekah considered the statement, considered its subject, "well, you'll have plenty of opportunity to figure out how."

* * *

Klaus stared absently into the fire, the light from the flames battling the shadows for domination of his face. In his hand the glass of amber fluid was heavy, dangling close to the ground beside his chair. He did not hear him enter the room behind him engrossed as he was in the flames licking their way across the wood, consuming the fuel just as his thoughts consumed him. Still, before the vampire had taken another step something primal within him drew his attention to the approaching threat. "Stefan," he offered in greeting.

"Mind if I join you?" the vampire enquired moving towards the matching chair on the other side of the fire.

He did mind, he was tired of house guests, well those that monopolized Caroline's time - those that shared an envious intimacy with her - basically Stefan. Still, it was best not to advertise such weaknesses. "Care for a drink mate?" he asked lifting his own glass and motioning towards the open bottle on the table beside him.

"Thank you," Stefan replied helping himself to a glass before moving to occupy the other chair. They sat for a while in a silence bordering on companionable, eventually though Stefan broke it, "Caroline is with Katherine."

Whether Stefan volunteered the information as an explanation for his intrusion or because he believed it was of particular interest to him, Klaus wasn't sure. He hoped it was the former, that his weakness was not so apparent to the vampire that he felt Klaus required updates on her movements - assurances of her safety.

"So you are here," he muttered in response careful to maintain his indifferent mask, his uncaring air.

"Caroline wants to go explore New Orleans, she's never been," Stefan advised following a few more blessed moments of silence.

"I am aware," in fact he was more than simply aware. Caroline had been quite expressive about her displeasure in his insistence on her continued captivity until about a week previous when she had stopped talking to him period. Her silent disdain was as irritating to him as her confinement to the grounds was frustrating to her, but he wasn't about to allow her to place herself in jeopardy and he was also aware that Stefan was of the same opinion. Boredom wouldn't kill her, exposing herself by flitting around the tourist sites in the middle of a supernatural war zone likely would.

"Perhaps if you let Bonnie visit…" the vampire put forward as though it had only just occurred to him.

"Bonnie can visit after my brothers return to the land of the living," annoyance colored his tone, just how many times would he be forced to repeat himself?

"Or you could take her out," Stefan continued as though he hadn't heard Klaus speak.

He almost laughed at the suggestion, surely there could be no quicker way to get Caroline killed than for her to be seen in his company.

"Or I could," the vampire finally dropped all pretense.

Klaus was almost insulted that his old friend should think him so easily led. "Enjoy your drink mate," he told the vampire before polishing off his own and exiting the room.

Caught in her gravitational pull he found himself drawn to the room in which Katherine and her resided - he had not actively sought her out, made no effort to stretch out with his senses. Her gaze awaited him as though she had expected his company, perhaps even desired it. Something resembling joy flashed in her eyes before indifference took its place, she scoffed and for a moment he thought she might break her petulant silence when her lips parted, but a second later they snapped shut.

"Katherine it's donation time, do go see Marcus," he instructed his eyes still fixed upon Caroline's. Katherine moved passed him and out the door without comment though he was sure she was running through some creative insults in her head.

"Caroline," he breathed out her name and was pleased to note that her breathing hitched in response. She turned away from him breaking their gaze at last, he moved closer stopping only once he was within touching distance - her body, seemingly against her will, turned towards him even as her eyes avoided him.

"Well love, you'll be happy to know yet another day has passed without hide nor hair of darling Tyler," he attempted to bait her into conversation, a week was too long a time not to hear her speak his name. She scoffed again her eyes focussed upon the wooden floor, mapping its imperfections as though it was of some import. "In other news it appears that rumours of dear Hayley's demise were exaggerated," at this he at least regained her eyes. He smirked, "seems that your friend Silas had Sophie remove the binding spell as word around town is she accompanied your first love on his mission of revenge."

Caroline's reaction was not what he expected, she appeared strangely unmoved by the revelation not bereft nor even wounded. It gave him leave to hope that she had meant what she said when she told Tyler that she had come to think of this, his home, as her own. A warm feeling spread throughout his body and he instantly forgave her for preventing him from taking the disobedient pups life. Of course, he wasn't about to tell her that. "The werewolves appear to have temporarily withdrawn and there's still no word on Marcel so I'm afraid your confinement must continue," he watched her from under his lashes. She gave no noticeable reaction to the news and so their game continued.

They had not discussed the day Tyler came scouting on his revenge mission, but he they didn't really need to. Klaus was aware that in that moment when she prevented him from removing Tyler's unworthy heart her arm had crossed the spell's border and he did not doubt that she knew it. The spell did not bind her as he had intended, and yet, though she was clearly unhappy in her confinement, she had made no effort to escape it. Perhaps it was because his Hybrids were under orders to watch her 24-7, but then again she had proven time again that she was clever and resourceful so just maybe she hadn't left because deep down she didn't want to.

"Bonnie has, I'm afraid, not made any further progress so is much too busy to visit, still you have Stefan to keep you entertained," it was possible his tone became a little bitter at the end.

"You're insufferable," she sneered before jumping to her feet and striding out of the room.

And with that he added her insults to the list of things that made him happy.


	28. Chapter 28

Of all the places she imagined she'd end up, this wasn't one of them. In fact, it was the last place she thought she'd be. Running away to the place where the person you were running from didn't make a whole lot of sense, at least not at first.

Tyler seemed to think that she was safe, that there was nowhere better to hide than right under his nose - she wasn't entirely convinced, especially now that Klaus knew Tyler was in town, but her heart was still firmly in her chest so perhaps it wasn't as fool hardy an idea as she had thought.

That said should Klaus walk through the door that second she wasn't sure she'd be able to find the motivation to get up, let alone run - she had never been less inclined to leave than she did right now.

A lot of that was due to the position she was in at that very moment, one she had thought as equally unlikely as running to the place her hunter called home. Hayley allowed herself the luxury of enjoying it to the fullest, to trail her fingers up and down his naked side and remember how it was that she ended up where she had, for what felt like forever, longed to be. She wanted it to last till the end of time; she wanted to believe that all her dreams had come true; she wanted this rare moment of happiness in an otherwise miserable life to continue for more than one night.

Her human pillow shifted beneath her, the regular deep breathes that marked his sleep began to quicken, resting on his chest she listened to his heart rate increase as he clawed his way slowly back to consciousness. Hayley had time to wonder what this new day would bring, a continuation of one of the most joyous moments of her life or a bitter ending of her waking fantasies as reality crashed down upon her yet again.

Her eyes shifted upwards to rest upon Tyler's face, he looked so at peace, but she did not allow herself to believe that his restful appearance meant that he his heart was as satisfied with her in his arms as hers was resting within them – history had taught her to be more cautious. After all, even Klaus managed to look peaceful when he slept.

Still, she could not prevent her hopes from soaring as his arms tightened around her a few brief moments before he leisurely opened his eyes. It was with equal amounts of anticipation and dread that she watched him as his eyes settled upon her, there was a flash of confusion in those eyes, and then something else which she could only pray was not disappointment, before his lips curved up into a smile.

"Good morning," he rumbled in the low gravelly tones of an unused voice.

"Good morning," she breathed back, hoping she sounded more confident than she felt. Hoping that he would at least pretend that she was his first choice; that if he was disappointed to find it was her in his arms that he would be kind enough to hide it from her. How easily he could break her if he chose.

She felt the sudden need to retreat, to save herself from certain disappointment she would endure when he decided that he would rather be anywhere else but in a bed with her, so pushed herself up fully intending to escape before he made a move to when his arm still snaked around her waist pulled her back down.

"Where do you think you're going Hayley?" the way he said her name made her catch her breath. It was sweet, like he enjoyed saying it, like he enjoyed her. Tyler's dark eyes caressed her face as though he was trying to memorize it.

"I, uh…" she really didn't know what to say, she couldn't tell him the truth.

"Stay with me, please?" he continued in that sweet voice he had never used with her before. That voice that hinted that she might be more to him than a one night stand, that perhaps he felt something for her.

Tyler had not spoken in that tone the night before; he had barely spoken at all. When he had gotten back from his scouting trip he had practically ignored her, the angry jerk of a Tyler that he had become since his last run in with Klaus still very much in evidence – she still did not know what had happened, other than a weak assurance that Klaus did not know she was in New Orleans Tyler had remained silent about their meeting. All she knew was that it was unpleasant and following it so was Tyler.

Having put her daughter to bed she had considered going to bed herself so she wouldn't have to endure another night in his disagreeable company wondering if he would behave that way if he was with Miss Perfect instead of her and torturing herself with the belief that he would not. Just when she entered her bedroom having determined that she'd reached her limit on Hayley bashing for the week and would forego the self-deprivation, he had grabbed her by the arm and crashed his lips down on hers.

To say she was surprised would have been an understatement, but that didn't stop her from immediately responding. She had attacked his lips ferociously; her tongue wrestled his for control, her hands attacked his clothes ripping them from his body as he did hers. It was hurried, it was violent - it was spectacular. Tyler was insatiable and her thirst for him unquenchable.

It wasn't like it was with Klaus, at no point did she get the impression that as Tyler took her he was imagining another. Tyler said her name often interspersing it with dirty promises that made her core burn with need – there were no words of love, but she didn't need them, it was enough for her that as he thrust within her it was her name he uttered, her body he coveted and if he thought at all of that perfect blond she had envied with a vengeance Hayley imagined that it was only with the desire to forget.

Tyler was everything she had hoped he would be, he was voracious - a hungry ravenous beast that clasped her to him as though he could never be close enough. When he had pulled out of her suddenly during their second round for the evening she had cried out in protest before he bent her over the couch – and just when had they left her bedroom? – slamming back into her wet centre with one brutal thrust. She had pulled her shoulders up, arching her back to meet him, desperate for him to be as deep in her as possible. As her third orgasm of the night built up she had felt his fangs scraping along her shoulder blade, it had occurred to her in that moment that she could offer him something that Caroline could not.

"Bite me," she had told him and bite her he had. It was a sensation she had never experience and it had pushed her over the edge, she had never in her life cum as hard as she had with Tyler thrusting inside her as he sucked the life from her veins. Somewhere in her pleasure bound haze she had heard him cry out her name as he pulsed within her. Hayley had never felt so sated, so complete, so content.

Until the morning after when in that sweet voice he asked her to stay.

* * *

Silas had come to a decision.

It had taken some time to reach it - he had after all been dealt the harshest of blows and it took him some time to come to terms with the fact that he had fought a war for two thousand years that he had never had a chance of winning, but once the dust had settled, once he had gorged his way through his desolation, he had decided.

He was quite sure that it was not the course that Caroline would advocate, he was certain she would be bitterly disappointed in him. Some part of him lamented that that should be the case; that his choice might make an enemy of the one remaining soul he cared for in this world.

But he had decided.

Long ago he had determined that he could not reside in a world without his love, and though he was now unable to reunite with her it was no less true. He was going to die; there was never really any choice to be made in that regard, the only choice was whether or not he would die alone.

Silas thought that perhaps it might be more of a punishment for Qetsiyah to spend an eternity on the Other Side with nought but the memory of him to keep her company, but what if it wasn't? What if the hag spent the rest of forever rejoicing in her victory over him?

He would never know. But could he die without knowing?

Should he take her with him her fate would be certain - she would be removed from existence, erased from the world as surely as he was to be. In order for that to happen though, the Other Side had to be destroyed, and in order for that to happen he needed one of Qetsiyah's line to work the spell. This option was not without its pitfalls, destroy the Other Side and it was not just the hag that met her end, it was everyone – every Supernatural that had died; every one that would die would meet the same fate.

The choice would have been simple if not for one thing, or rather one person, Caroline.

Silas could care less if each and every being in the world were to drop dead tomorrow, but he did care what happened to his bubbly blond, his Sunshine girl. Were Caroline to ever meet her end she too would cease – her shining light would be no more. He wanted her to live forever, he wanted to die knowing that she would continue.

And whatever she might think of him, he knew that she would tell him to live, would encourage him to find a place in this brave new world and find a way to be happy - she might go so far as to help him do so. Caroline was so full of life, so full of light, he did not imagine she would understand his choice to die. He was sure that she would not be pleased that death was his choice, would be vocal in her displeasure - he could only imagine her reaction should he choose to take everyone else with him.

Against his better judgment he had come to care what she thought of him, he loved her in spite of himself. He wanted her to be happy; he wanted to make her happy and he knew that destroying the Other Side wouldn't - he knew that he couldn't.

So it was not a decision he took lightly, it was not a decision to be made whilst anger ruled him, there was too much at stake. Far too much to lose.

He had let the Bennett witch go, he had allowed Caroline to take her. But he had only done so because he knew where they were going, and he knew that if he should chose the unthinkable the tools he needed would still be within his grasp.

He had waited, his anger had abated, and then...then, he had decided.

He was not going to die alone.


	29. Chapter 29

It was a bad idea, the worst idea in the history of bad ideas – it was, in short, a disaster. Unfortunately for Bonnie Bennett she had been over ruled, her concerns discarded with the weekly trash. She wasn't surprised, she was exceedingly irritated by it all, but there wasn't a whole lot she could about it.

When you are keeping company with Originals and powerful witches of unknown origins you didn't exactly have options, not even when the vomit-inducing plan required you to be joined at the hip with possibly the most grating being ever spawned. Whilst Tessa the enigmatic was deciding what to demand for Finn and the Giant Annoyance's - otherwise referred to as Kol - resurrection services she would, in the interim, demonstrate her worth by granting the ever present one corporal form.

If that wasn't bad enough, apparently their "bond" made her the one and only choice for the  _coveted_  position as his anchor, and for reasons passing understanding such a position would require them to remain in close proximity – like the adjoining room maximum - at  _all_  times. Ghost Kol was bad enough, but corporal ghost Kol? The thought made her shudder.

" _Shivering in anticipation precious?"_ Kol's wretched voice threatened to further darken her mood.

"I may just throw up," she bit out, nowhere near as sharp as she had intended.

" _Admit it love, you are on the verge of wetting your pants in excitement at the prospect of being able to touch this godly form,"_ though she couldn't bring herself to look at him, she was certain he was wearing a wide grin and likely making some grossly inappropriate gesture, emphasis on the gross.

Bonnie almost regretted not making more of an effort to bring him back, if only because then he would have a whole wide world of people to irritate so surely he wouldn't occupy his time annoying her. Of course, she'd then be responsible for each and every life he consequentially ended…still, at times like these, she felt inclined to pawn him off on the rest of the world.

Since Bonnie's return to the living Caroline had, on numerous occasions, stressed that she needed to put herself first more often and  _always_  should she find herself in any life threatening situations. The blonde managed to fit in a short lecture on the need to be more selfish into each and every conversation they had, which was rather like the pot calling the kettle black – they both of them were far too inclined to put the interests of others above their own.

" _Turn that frown upside down Bon Bon, we'll be snuggling in no time,"_ the Giant Annoyance brought her back to the present.

"There will be no snuggling," she almost choked on the last word - she really didn't know why she responded, it was only encouraging him.

" _Well if you'd rather skip to the main event…"_

"There's a no touch policy!" she cut him off.

" _That doesn't sound at all fun sugar plum; I exercise my Veto!"_  he proclaimed loudly.

"What did I do to deserve this?" she asked the heavens.

" _You might just be very lucky, or you might have had a hand in not just my death but that of my eldest brother,"_ their gazes locked, his face for once missing his trademark smirk.  _"Let's go with lucky, shall we?"_

And with that she had gone from annoyed to distinctly uncomfortable. The edge of the blade slicing across her open palm was a welcome distraction, the smarting pain of the cut a relief. Then her blood dripped into whatever concoction Tessa held in the bowl beneath her hand and the burning circle around them flared up before a pale blue smoke rose from the bowl to encompass Kol's form. It completely obscured him from view, and then her head blossomed in a searing pain forcing her to her knees as her hands clasped her head. The pain increased, it was like nothing she had ever experienced. She knew that someone was screaming, but it sounded so very distant to her ears and the pain was just so consuming that it took her a few minutes to realize that  _someone_  was her.

Eventually the pain receded and she found herself curled up on the ground with her hands digging into her skull. She felt like she'd be hit by a truck, a truck that then backed up and ran over her a second time, and then once more for good measure.

Two strong arms lifted her up into the air, she was cradled against a hard chest - definitely a man she decided. Bonnie forced her eyes to open and focus on the face of the man that held her; in the long list of things she never thought would happen that had come to pass, feeling a sense of relief upon finding that it was Klaus that was carrying her had to be near the top. When she wondered had she decided she was safe with Mr Resident Evil?

"I can walk," she lied.

He didn't dignify her with a response, only dropping her when they reached the SUV and he threw her, none too gently, into the back seat. Considering she had difficulty crawling into a seated position she found herself rather glad that Klaus had ignored her, what she found next was less pleasing – Kol took up the seat her legs had vacated.

"You look terrible Bon Bon, haven't you started on the herbs yet?" he asked her with a wide grin that just made her want to punch him in the face.

Somehow her hand rose of its our volition as though it was itching to slap him silly.

"Now, now, best not go postal and exert yourself, Care wouldn't approve," he said watching her hand hover in the air between them.

She clenched her teeth, "did it…"

"Work?" he cut her off. "Feel for yourself," he purred at her, eyes alight.

And even though she was sure she would regret it, she reached out and touched his arm, his very solid arm, without really thinking she placed her other hand on his leg.

"I knew you'd warm up to me," he cooed in her ear as he draped his arm behind her shoulders.

* * *

Caroline was quite convinced that Connie's blood was inducing some kind of strange delusional state; what other possible explanation could there be for her new found appreciation of all things Klaus? Niklaus Mikaelson, the big bad mass murdering Hybrid whose favorite past-times were terrorizing her friends and hatching schemes to take over the world one town at a time, was not an individual she could picture spending her eternity with.

Yet she felt every absence and rejoiced, abet quietly, in each return. It was completely irrational, utterly ridiculous, but somehow she had become so accustomed to him that when he was absent it almost seemed as though a part of her was missing. If that wasn't enough of a worry, her insanity was even more apparent when he was present. It was as though he had his own gravitational field that with every day in his company only grew in strength; what's more there was between them a strange electrical current as frightening as it was fascinating.

Adam and David had been of zero assistance, for obvious reasons she did not feel inclined to share her dilemma with Bonnie, and having had to endure Stefan's smirking amusement ever since their last sharing session she didn't feel inclined to share further. Caroline figured she had two options, snap her own neck so that she could ask Connie directly or ask Gabe – the second option was infinity more preferable than the first, call her craven but she didn't particularly enjoy it when her neck was snapped.

That led, of course, to yet another problem. Gabe was hanging over at Elijah's mansion and annoyingly he did not deign to visit. The spell did not bind her so it wasn't as though she couldn't go see him, but when Klaus wasn't stalking her every move, his Hybrids were. It was possible that in her petulance she had brought it on herself, what with the whole I want to hit every tourist trap in New Orleans campaign which she was willingly to admit so downright stupid, bordering on suicidal. Still, she hadn't brought it up for quite some time, so did she really merit a regiment of killjoys? Just because she intended to slip out at the first opportunity didn't mean she couldn't be trusted – yes, granted her logic was faulty, but she was delusional you will recall.

"Early in the evening for scheming," Katherine's voice intruded on her ever jumbled thoughts.

"How do you always know where I am?" she just couldn't be bothered pretending to be glad to see her.

"I just follow the guard dogs, well, I normally do," she smiled sweetly, well it would have been had she an ounce of sweetness left within her.

"I'm not in the mood, why don't..." Caroline trailed off as her brain caught up with her ears. "What do you mean normally?"

"And just as I was about to segue into blonde jokes," the smile turned into the more familiar smirk.

"Are you going to tell me or not?" she asked irritated.

Katherine laughed and as she did it occurred to Caroline that in the entire time they had been living together it was the first time the doppelganger had done so.

"Seems like Klaus' big meeting might have required the dog squad so border guards only, and few and far between at that. Seems like if someone was planning an outing now would be the opportune moment."

"When did you see Pirates of the Caribbean?" Not the best response and well deserving of Katherine's withering glare. "Right, well, there's the spell..."

"Which doesn't bind you," Katherine cut in.

To say she was shocked was an understatement. Her gaze burned into Katherine's, "how do you know?"

"I heard Marcus talking about it; apparently Klaus saw you go over, hence the dog squad patrol," Katherine's tone was bored as though it was of no import as to how she found out. It probably wasn't.

"I figured he saw me," Caroline said with a sigh giving up all pretense. "Seeing as you seemed to know everything about everything, care to offer any suggestions on how to elude the border patrol?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Katherine smiled brightly, an honest to god genuine smile.

Caroline found herself smiling back, she wasn't foolish enough to believe that Katherine was helping her out of the goodness in her heart, but for whatever reason she was helping her and after five hundred years of running from Klaus Caroline was quite certain that there were few people in this world whose help would be more valuable.

A mere twenty minutes later Caroline found herself safely on the other side of the spell's border without alerting a single soul, and fifteen minutes of vamp speeding after that she found herself outside Elijah's door. She knew, from the wealth of information Katherine had somehow gathered, that none of the Originals were in so she didn't bother knocking, instead she jumped in an open window and focused her senses on finding Gabe. It turned out that she needed have bothered as it seemed he had been expecting her and shortly entered the room.

"You could have used the door, it wasn't locked," he told her smiling.

"Yeah, well, next time," she responded casting her eyes around the room. "How long till they get back?"

"The spell won't be cast until the witching hour, so we have time," he motioned towards a plush looking sofa.

"I need your help," she started talking the moment she sat down. "Something is happening to me, I think the blood is changing me."

He nodded, whether in agreement or encouragement she wasn't sure, "explain what's happening."

"I've been having impure thoughts," she suddenly felt like she was in confessional and she wasn't even Catholic.

He raised his eyebrows, his lips twitched as though he wanted to grin, but held himself back. "Vampire's have a heightened libido, and forgive me for saying this, but the Sahara has nothing on your dry spell."

It was difficult to prevent herself from pouting, "it's not that."

"What does it feel like?" he asked, his tone soft.

"It's like we are connected, I know when he's around even if I can't actually hear or see him. It's like I'm trapped in his orbit," she felt stupid saying it out loud.

"Like an electrical current?" he asked his eyes wide.

"Yes, exactly like that," the relief she felt was immeasurable. Finally, someone who could give her answers, maybe even knew the cure.  _Clearly a Connie blood side effect._

"It's not the blood," he told her, his expression suddenly serious.

 _Or not!_ "So what is it?" though she rather thought she would be none too pleased with his answer.

"Soul mates," he said, and something about the way he said it created the impression that he knew precisely who she was talking about.

"What?" she practically shrieked. "We are so not...it's just not possible," she was one step away from telling him to take it back.

"I'm not saying you're partners for life, or rather in death," she glared at him, "I digress. There are all kinds of soul mates, it isn't always romantic in nature."

"So there's a kind where you are just friends?" not exactly what she wanted to ask but she figured she could work her way up.

"Yes, they are companion or twin soul mates. I rather think your friend Stefan and you are twin soul mates," he said offering a small reassuring smile.

"Okay, so then if there are friend soul mates, how about friends with benefits soul mates?"

Klaus was her friend after all, and she was brave enough to admit - for the time being at least - that she really wanted to jump his bones.

Maybe if she did she would get over it, move on.

_Is there really any harm in trying?_

"Twin soul mates sometimes have sexual relationships," he advised, but his gaze drifted away from hers as though there was something he was holding back.

"But you don't think it's that?" sometimes she rather thought she was a glutton for punishment because she knew exactly what he was going to say.

"No, I don't," he paused, his eyes travelling the room. "I think it is why she had us retrieve you, why you interested her in the beginning."

Caroline remained silent, waiting for him to bang another nail in her coffin.

"I don't know for sure, it's beyond my abilities, but it's possible that you and he are twin flame soul mates," his eyes finally met hers again, she imagined that had he been a doctor he'd have worn such an expression when he told someone they were dying.

"And that's a good thing?" oh how she hoped it was.

"I've never seen it, but..." he took a deep breath as though shoring up his courage, "they are essentially two halves of one soul and it's possible that when they meld one can loss their sense of self."

"You're telling me that could lose myself, that I'll become like Klaus?" she felt a sense of dread taking over.

"Like I said, I've never seen it."

Caroline jumped to her feet, "I have to go." Without waiting for a response, she left the house with no clear idea of where she was heading, nor even paying attention to her surroundings. Eventually she found herself among people, drunk unruly people without a care in the world, she wanted to be like them and so she entered the very next bar she came across. Rousseau's seemed as good a place as any to achieve her latest goal in life - to get utterly sloshed as Rebekah might say.


	30. Chapter 30

It didn't take her long to find her, the moment she walked into the bar her eyes instantly focused on her blonde head, but had she been requiring assistance each and every one of the other Supernaturals in the bar could have offered it – the blonde was the focus of many sets of eyes, none of them overly careful, and most of them unfriendly. The blonde bar fly seemed wholly unconcerned at the attention she had gained, or perhaps she was wholly unaware of it. There was no doubt that she was inebriated, lightly swaying on her bar stool as though her equilibrium was off and she was moving her body to adjust for the apparition of a moving room. From the doorway she watched her and the other patrons, determining how best to proceed and whether any of those unfriendly eyes were of the dangerous variety.

With the exception of Cami, the blonde bartender, no one spoke to the blonde at the bar, and she spoke to no one. It seemed that there existed, at least in the baby vamp's mind, a small pocket world on that bar stool where she alone resided untouched and apart from the world and its troubles. Any other place, any other time, any other girl, and she would have left her to her indulgent isolation, but this was New Orleans, in time of war, and that girl was Caroline Forbes.

A wreck of a fall down-drunk Caroline Forbes, but easily recognizable if one was looking for her...and many were. Until very recently her name, her image, her presence would not have caused the powers that be to so much as bat an eyelid she was unknown, inconsequential. That all changed though when the Hybrid, that most feared Original in the middle of power struggle against King Marcel for control of New Orleans suddenly absconded.

In a perfect world his absence would have gone unnoticed and perhaps it might have had Elijah and herself not followed him, what might have been written off as a short joint to rally more troops or source supplies was suddenly inexplicable. Such missions might require one of them, but all three?

So it wasn't overly surprising that her brother's blonde secret was discovered, if enough Supernaturals are looking for something they will tend to find it. It was now wide spread knowledge that the big bad Hybrid left the field of battle at the bidding of a baby vampire. Now, Rebekah was quite certain, each and every Supernatural in the bar knew not only who the drunk blonde was, but that she was an invaluable weapon against Nik.

Luckily for cause Mikaelson, Rebekah had found her before any harm could be done. Luckily for Caroline, Rebekah hadn't told her brother his blonde weakness was unaccounted for.

Assured by the knowledge that there was no one of note amongst the bar's patrons and that if the miscreants knew who Caroline was, there could be no doubt they knew who she was, Rebekah made her way to the bar and took the seat beside the other blonde. "Funny, I was sure you were under house arrest?"

Caroline's blue eyes turned their unfocused gaze upon her, lingering for almost a minute before they widened in recognition, a large smile plastered on her face, "Beeekah."

"The one and only," she smirked already fashioning images of her brother's reaction when she dragged the drunken home.

"Does heee…" Caroline trailed off and almost fell off her stool as she attempted to swivel herself around to look behind her.

"Know you're here?" she paused, not so much for a confirmation rather to enjoy the apprehensive expression taking over Caroline's features, "nope, but you can tell him all about it when I take you home." She was really looking forward to watching that reunion, as though on cue her phone beeped – Nik's fourth message since Gabe's text had prompted her to abandon them at the clearing to go bar-hopping to find his trashy blonde before he realized she was missing and declared world war three.

"Come on Courtney," she grabbed Caroline by the arm and pulled her to her unsteady feet.

Caroline's blue eyes were clouded with confusion, "Courtney?"

"Love, because you princess are the trashiest of them all," she smiled widely and then motioned towards the door.

"Noo," Caroline said loudly before resuming her seat. "I want another, jus one more," she whined like a five year old and Rebekah wondered briefly if she herself was as annoying when she whined.

Rebekah was quite certain that their window was closing and soon Caroline would have an angry Nik forming a red path to her current seat; the four unread messages did not bode well, but at least he hadn't rung yet.

So of course, having just determined that time was still on their side, her phone started ringing. Rebekah wondered if answering was a wise decision, but soon decided that not answering would be worse, "what?"

"Do you have her?" Nik's none too impressed voice resounded.

"Yes, she's fine," she sighed, so much for getting her back without him noticing.  _Cue hysterics._

"Bring her to me," he growled in her ear, "now!" he practically shouted.

"I am your sister, not your bloody servant you conceited wanker," she growled right back at him.

"If she isn't back here in twenty minutes, you'll be in a coffin for the next..."

She ended the call furious.

"One more drink you say?" she took up the seat beside the blonde who already had half a dozen shots of tequila lined up in front of her. Rebekah wasn't in the mood for an inferior beverage choice and motioned to Cami. When the bartender arrived she fixed her with a deadly look, "out back Marcel has some bourbon, bring me a bottle."

It almost looked as though the human was contemplating saying no, but then she turned on her heel and walked out of view returning a minute later with a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve – never was Rebekah so grateful that Nik in addition to immortality and the asshole complex had passed on to Marcel his good taste in bourbon. Cami placed the bottle which she had already opened and a solitary glass in front of her; Rebekah was tempted to thank the human, but was in too bad of a mood to bother. Filling the glass to the brim she raised it in toast and quickly tossed it back, barely stopping to breath she poured herself another and did the same.

"My brother is a conniving narcissistic bastard," she announced, her tone somewhat bitter.

"Ooookay," Caroline softly responded before polishing off another shot leaving only four remaining.

Rebekah knocked back another, "he lov…" she stopped herself from finishing the sentence remembering that they were currently surrounded by enemies. Sometimes she just a little too emotional for her own good, a trait Caroline appeared to share. But as her anger at the manner in which Nik spoke to her lessened, in direct proportion to the amount of Marcel's bourbon she consumed, she began to realize that they really shouldn't be there. Neither one of them should be out in public, let alone out drinking – she reached across and sent the last of Caroline's shots flying.

"Hey!" Caroline turned towards her indignant.

"We have to go," she told the other blonde and got to her feet, but as she did so she suddenly felt faint. Gripping the bar to steady herself she turned her eyes back to meet Caroline's. "Something is…wrong with me," she more mouthed than said.

Rebekah was woozy, her limbs heavy, vision beginning to blur – it wasn't a new experience for her, she knew exactly what was happening. Rebekah's eyes fell on the bottle and then went back to Caroline who she was relieved to note seemed to be sobering up fast. "Help me," she whispered, careful not to speak loud enough for anyone else to hear.

Caroline wrapped her arm around her and they leaned on each other as they began the short journey to the exit. Each step was difficult, but Rebekah stood tall ever hopeful that those watchful eyes were unaware of her condition and believed that she was assisting the baby vampire in walking not the other way around. When the door swung open and Marcel appeared she thought that the hallucinations had begun until Caroline stiffened beside her.

"Bloody hell."

* * *

He had watched from a table in the darkest corner as the blonde Original had strode into the bar and taken up residence in the seat next to the  _main attraction,_  though Rebekah had scanned the room for a few minutes before entering he was quite confident that his presence had gone unnoticed. Most of the blonde's conversation was beyond his hearing and that of all the other patrons, but he was able to view both their faces - both were expressive creatures. He and most of the bar heard the conversation between the two Originals, but not a soul reacted, he had made sure of it. Rebekah in a petulant move he was certain she would regret in short order, determined that the best revenge was to join the baby vampire for a drink - he was amused to discover that her idea of a drink was a bottle of the best bourbon in the world, his amusement grew as Rebekah compounded her stupidity and began drinking the alcohol he knew to be tainted.

Had Tyler Lockwood's Hybrid venom the ability to kill the Original he might have intervened, even though he was only too aware that her brother was the cure, but as it would merely knock her off her feet for an hour or two he wasn't overly bothered. He smiled when the blonde realized her mistake and attempted to remedy it - he was only too aware that she left their escape a touch too late and just a yard from the door she knew it too as Marcel blocked their way.

The King of New Orleans hadn't changed a bit, still swanning around as though he was indestructible. He considered intervening at that point, but he sensed that Marcel had no intention of harming either of the blondes...yet...and so he waited, safe in his dark corner of anonymity watching, waiting.

"Rebekah, what an unexpected pleasure," Marcel's deep voice cut through the silence.

"We were just leaving," Rebekah said, fake smile in place.

"Ah, but the night is young," he replied his smile very wide and very real.

"If you wouldn't mind, we need to go," she gave him an expectant look.

"Why don't you ladies have a drink with me?" there was steel in his voice.

"Some other time perhaps," her voice was beginning to sound strained.

"We really need to go," Caroline interjected drawing all eyes to her again.

"I don't think so lovely Caroline," he spoke softly.

Before things had an opportunity to deteriorate, he got to his feet and sauntered over. "Marcel, long time, no see," he greeted when he reached Caroline's side placing his hand on her arm. Her gaze fixed upon him, her expression switching between concerned and hopeful.

"Stefan," Marcel's smile faltered, no doubt recalling their last encounter.

Caroline's eyes bore into his, it seemed to him that she couldn't make up her mind whether or not she was pleased to see him. He wanted her to be happy, to find joy in their reunion, but he had suspected that she would be anything but.

"Not Stefan, Silas," she correct Marcel and then her lips turned up forming a small smile.

That small little smile made his heart swell. "Caroline darling," he smiled for the first time since she left him, "of all the gin joints..."

"This isn't your concern," Marcel cut him off sounding rather put out.

"Now I thought we had a chat about respect last time," he pulled Caroline closer to him readying himself.

"Did we?" Marcel smiled and as he did the bar came to life. Someone grabbed Silas from behind as another retched Caroline from his grasp. It was at that moment that he came to the startling revelation that his powers were not working.

Marcel laughed, "turns out the witch knew what she was doing."

Silas knew precisely to which witch he was referring, only Qetsiyah herself possessed such power, clearly the bitch was back.

Luckily so were Caroline's sword wielding protectors who chose that moment to enter the fray. Their arrival offered Silas just enough time to free both himself and Caroline and escape before Marcel and his minions regrouped.

"Wait, Silas...wait," Caroline pleaded as he dragged her along behind him. "Rebekah...we have to go back...we can't leave her!" she yelled tugging back on his arm.

He turned around and released her arm, his hands raising to cup her face, his eyes meeting hers.

"We just did," he told her coldly and twisted until he heard her neck snap.


	31. Chapter 31

If she had been before him he might have ripped her head off he was that angry; then again, if she was before him he probably wouldn't have been in the throes of such a murderous rage. By the time he had arrived at the bar both Rebekah and her were gone. Adam and David knew not where they had been taken nor by whom, they both of them were apparently too busy fighting Marcel's hoards of vampire trash to pay much attention to where the woman they were tasked to protect was…let alone his sister.

With his heightened sense of smell he had been able to determine that his sister and Caroline did not leave together or leave willingly – it was also apparent that both Marcel and Silas had made personal appearances. Logic told him that the women's separation and the two vampire's presence were linked; one had been taken by Marcel and the other Silas. That knowledge brought a degree of comfort for the latter had no reason to take his sister and the former had not the means to kill her – therefore both Caroline and Rebekah would not be passing to the Other Side.

Rebekah, being held by his enemy, was – he reluctantly agreed – the priority. Silas was not likely to hurt the only individual he had shown any regard for; she was therefore relatively safe under his guardianship, however Klaus felt about her being separated from him. His sister on the other hand would not fare quite so well under Marcel's care – yes, she could not be killed, but there were worse things than death and Marcel had proved himself an apt student.

For the time being though Rebekah would have to endure for he was in no position, or rather state of mind, to retrieve her. To venture into the lion's den Klaus needed to be cool, calm and collected – in his current state calculated planning was beyond him, all he wanted to do was rip, shred…kill. So prior to saving Rebekah he needed alleviate his all-consuming fury ; there were only two ways in which to do so, either reclaim Caroline or actually rip and shred his way to a better – for his current purpose – state of being. Barring Silas returning Caroline it was unlikely he could gain her in time, so that left cleansing massacre.

As luck would have it the scene of the abductions had offered him the perfect target, or rather targets. Caroline's less than impressive protectors had at least noted that something had ailed Rebekah, something that rendered her incapable of protecting herself – it had taken less than a minute for him to find the cause and his fury relieving target. There was but one Hybrid that he did not control, he had made quite certain that the new breed would make no attempt to break the sire bond, Tyler Lockwood whatever his intent in poisoning Marcel's bourbon had enabled the capture of both women.

Klaus had not thought his first Hybrid was much of a threat, but following the unannounced visit to their home he had had told his Hybrids to find him – surprisingly it had taken two weeks for them to locate him, his petulant pup had grown a few more brain cells. But having found him it was all too easy to monitor his movements, determine who he was speaking with, and who was stupid enough to listen to him.

It was no surprise that the wolf girl was with him, in fact, he had been rather pleased as Tyler's dalliance with the wolf ensured that the boy's relationship with Caroline could never be renewed. Despite their moves against him, the rallying of Hayley's wolf relatives – Klaus' own blood – behind their banner, Klaus hadn't considered them threatening enough to raise arms against them. The ever elusive Marcel was of greater consequence, and there were also other more pressing matters to occupy his time than investing any energy in ending his pup and his bitch's existence or going to the effort of actually running them out of town and hunt them across continents. He knew precisely where they were, and once he had dealt with the real threats he had intended to ensure that they spent the rest of their miserable existences living in fear of what he might do to them, he might even go so far as to actually hunt them once a decade or so. History had taught him that the belief he was hunting someone was normally enough of a punishment – still he had felt that they had annoyed him enough to warrant a little attention every now and then.

Until of course their actions endangered Caroline and Rebekah. Until they were taken from him and his rage was bordering on insatiable. No, now they and their worthless allies would need to die so that their blood might quench his thirst for vengeance just enough for him to think straight. Which was why no sooner had he discovered the Hybrid venom he had left the bar and gone straight to their "hiding" place.

The wolves were on him immediately though not nearly strong enough in their human forms they made a good show of it, any other time he might have spared them, turned the most deserving and left the remainder to continue the family line. But it wasn't any other time and he felt an overwhelming need to decorate the trees with their innards, to tear into their flesh, snap their bones, and bathe in their blood. He gave himself over to his rage, became wrath personified, and revelled in their destruction. Klaus did not feel the blows they inflected on his body in return; he was at his most primal, a demon beast in human form. The wolves died badly, each screaming before their end, none able to even slow him down.

When Klaus hauled the last wolf's intestines from the fresh cavity in his abdomen only Tyler remained; sense returned to Klaus then, and licking the blood from his fingers he considered how best to deal with the first of his Hybrids. Even if Caroline might approve of such a fate, which he suspected she would not, death was too good for him.

Whilst Klaus was contemplating how best to repay Tyler's loyalty the Hybrid flashed forward whether he thought he could catch Klaus off guard or not wasn't overly important as a second later Klaus wrapped his hand around the boy's neck and snapped it. There was no need to draw out the confrontation, after all there would be plenty of time to find a fitting punishment.

In the mean-time there was a vacancy in his dungeon, but Klaus rather thought it would be unfair for his Hybrid to reside in it alone especially as Hayley had chosen that moment to make her presence known. Her presence denoted a rather surprising lack of survival instinct, Hayley who he had taken for the self-preserving type was none too bright in running towards rather than away from her doom.

"Hello love," he smirked as he approached her dragging Tyler by the leg behind him.

"Please…" she looked behind her as though she considered running, "you can't."

"I think you'll find I can," he dropped Tyler and grabbed a hold of her hair pulling her towards him.

"My baby," she breathed out, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Klaus paused for a moment, he had forgotten about the child, but in reality what kind of life could the girl have with a mother he was determined would be miserable for the rest of her days? He bit into his wrist and thrust it against Hayley's mouth, cutting off her airway and forcing her to ingest his blood. Once he was sure enough had ran down her throat he removed his wrist.

"Please don't," she begged, "please, I'll do anything."

"Die," he told her and snapped her neck.

He pulled out his cell phone and texted Marcus the location and instructions. In the distance he heard a baby crying and following the noise he found Hayley's daughter all alone in her cot. As he stood above her covered in the blood of her relatives he considered what to do with her – she was, he reflected, a very lucky girl. Had he found her earlier he might have killed her to spite her mother, he might have left her to die - he had done worse.

But by the time he reached her his rage had lessened, and in her favor Hayley's little girl's eyes were blue not the hazel of her mother's. Klaus was not merciful, he had killed thousands upon thousands, some of which were children, but looking into those big blue eyes he felt no urge to end the life of this child.

He felt hollow, as though someone had carved out his insides leaving him a shell of a being – never in his thousand years had he felt quite so desolate. Killing the child would not lessen his pain and so he sent another text to Marcus and left her where she lay.

The moment he exited the room, the little girl exited his thoughts and instead his attention turned to how best to retrieve his sister, he sent another text to Elijah telling him to meet him at his house. Klaus' fingers then moved of their own accord tapping in a number he knew by heart, there was no answer, he hadn't expected that there would be.

" _Hello, this is Caroline I can't take your call right now so leave a message."_

Her cheerful voice wasn't enough, he needed her. Caroline had infiltrated her way past all of his defenses to the point where she was now an intricate part of him – she was so far entrenched that it was irreversible - he would never be whole without her, never be happy again.

Still, he had agreed, Rebekah needed rescuing first – he had survived a thousand years, he could surely survive a little longer. Once his sister was safe then he would retrieve his heart.

* * *

"And just where are you off to my lovely?" he smiled widely.

"I have to go out Kol," Bonnie told him with a sigh.

"So where are we going my delicious chocolate indulgence?" he asked as he moved towards the door.

"You're not going to try to stop me?" she asked suspicion heavy in her tone.

"You were told in no uncertain terms by both my brothers that you were not to leave the house correct?"

"Yes," she replied.

"So they will no doubt be exceedingly annoyed when they discover you didn't listen to them," he winked at her as he pulled the door back.

"You're going to help me?"

"Of course petal," he continued to grin like a madman.

"Why?" she asked genuinely intrigued.

"I'm bored, and I enjoy anything that annoys my brothers, now chop chop or we'll never get out of here," he swept his arm around her and pulled her through the door. "Let's take Elijah's car," he clapped his hands together grabbed a key from a collection on the wall and then raced towards the garage, forcing her to run keep up.

Bonnie had long ago decided that Kol was clinically insane, but she was eternally grateful that this once it was working in her favor. Being that the two of them were joined at the hip she was unable to go anywhere without him, she had hoped that if she made it to a car she might somehow force him to capitulate and go with her, but she never would have imagined that he would go against his brothers so easily. It made her instantly suspicious.

"Doesn't Elijah's car have LoJack?"

"They all do, which is why we are going to ditch it when we steal another," he jumped in the driver's seat. "Ooh, you should call me Clyde."

"I'm not calling you Clyde," she told him as she settled in the passenger seat wondering if she should have insisted upon driving.

"Well, we aren't going anywhere until you do my little partner in crime," he chuckled.

"You have the maturity of a tadpole," she crossed her arms and glared at him.

"Now Bonnie my gangster lover, time it is a wasting," he tapped out a rhythm on the steering wheel.

"Alright Clyde, now can we go?" never a day went by that she didn't wish she was tethered to  _anyone_  else.

"Of course we can Bonnie," he turned the key and then with a screech they were hurtling towards the open gates.

"What the hell Kol, slow down!" she yelled.

"Who's Kol?" he asked looking directly at her.

"Watch the road you idiot!" she grabbed the wheel turning it to the right to avoid the lamp-post that he was about to drive them into. "Some of us aren't already dead!"

"And whose fault is that?" he said sulking turning his attention to the road.

"Okay, I'm sorry Clyde, can you just drive a little more carefully?" she swore he was five.

"I don't think Bonnie screeched at Clyde," he continued sulking.

"Probably why they ended up riddled with bullets," she mumbled under her breath then brought out her phone to check Google maps.

"I heard that," his eyes were narrowed.

"We're going the wrong way," she said frustrated, "we have to go back that way," she told him pointing.

"Just as soon as I get us a new ride Bon Bon," he advised with a small grin. "You never did say where we were going," he said after a brief pause.

Bonnie bit her lip, "we're going to get Caroline."

Kol's grin widened, "this would be the same Caroline that's being held by Silas the guy you killed me to release?"

"Yes," she sighed in defeat.

"Hmm, that really isn't working out too well, I hate to say it," with a look that indicated the reverse was true, "but I do believe I told you so."

"I am aware," she figured she'd get further if she humored him.

The car came to an abrupt stop and without so much as a glance in her direction Kol exited, leaving the keys in the ignition. "Well, come on darling, we don't have all night," he cooed as he approached a man standing by a car. "Hello mate, nice car, give me the keys and forget you ever owned it," he compelled the man, took the keys and settled into the driver's seat.

Feeling even less comfortable that before Bonnie took up position in the passenger side, and then they headed back the way they had come. "Where is the tasty blonde pick-up point then?" he asked with a salacious grin. Bonnie handed him her phone, he glanced at the address, "I know exactly where that is."

"Good," she said, no actually believing that it was. Caroline would not approve of what she was about to do, but she was her best friend and she was back among the living because of her – Bonnie didn't feel as though she had much choice.

"You know, I don't think he would hurt her," Kol said in a soft voice, his expression as serious as she had ever seen it.

"I can't take that risk."

"Blonde vampires are a dime a dozen, but Bennett witches are a dying breed," he said his eyes firmly fixed on the road.

"Caroline is one of a kind, and she's the closest thing to family I have," she didn't know why she was opening up to him of all people.

"Family is overrated," he said without conviction.

"I'm sorry about Finn," and she really was.

"Thank you," he whispered.


	32. Chapter 32

Rebekah returned to consciousness slowly, her mind as reluctant as her body to discover what new hell awaited her. She lay with her eyes closed reaching out with her other senses, what they told her made no sense, but she didn't want to open her eyes just yet worried that it was all some sick joke. Eventually though she did open them and was more shocked than she should have been to confirm with her eyes what her other senses told her was true – she was laying on a large comfortable bed in a room dripping in luxury, a room she recognized as her own. It had been a long time since she had last resided here, one hundred years and it hadn't changed, it was like a shrine.

She sat up and turned her attention to the man in the corner, Marcel was perched upon a very feminine chair looking distinctly nervous and uncomfortable. "You're awake," he said softly.

Stating the obvious was a trait of Marcel's that she wasn't overly fond of, so she didn't dignify him with a response instead she waited to hear why he had laid her out in her old room instead of in one of the compounds many cells. And as he didn't seem overly inclined to say anything further the silence extended, minutes turned into hours and the two sat watching each other.

"I kept it just as you left it," he eventually spoke again.

As though she didn't notice. "Too busy with the empire to redecorate Marcellus?" she asked with a smirk.

"Being King doesn't leave me with a lot of free time, but I wouldn't have changed it in any case," he leaned forward his eyes focused on hers.

"Is this the part where I go awwh?" she asked rolling her eyes and rising from the bed to move to the window. She wondered how long it would take before her brothers came for her, assuming Klaus wasn't so focused on Caroline that he had forgotten he had a sister.

"Why didn't you come back?"

"You mean after the fifty years I spent in a box because of you?" her eyes scanned the area outside the window, looking for weaknesses in the defenses to exploit in her escape.

He made no reply and silence again reigned.

"I was told you were dead," she finally got around to answering.

"You could have come back and checked," a touch of anger entered his tone.

She responded in kind, "you could have chosen me!" Rebekah turned from the window and glared in his direction. "Was your kingdom worth it?" she sneered.

"I like being King," he replied visibly angry now.

"I have lived a lot longer than you, Marcellus. I have seen kings rise and fall, but if there is one thing I know to be true, it's that no matter how big your empire becomes, it's nothing if you have no one to share it with,"* she snapped reducing Marcel to silence once again.

He sighed. "I want to show you something, will you come with me?" Marcel eventually spoke again.

"Do I have a choice?" she didn't wait for a response, instead she moved to the door and waited with an expectant expression.

He flashed quickly to her side, opened the door and taking her in his arms flashed her to their destination. Whatever she was expecting, it wasn't the place he took her to.

"I call this the garden, but once upon a time it was the foundation for our house," he held his arms out turning.

"Our house?" she questioned.

"The one I was building for you," he said softly.

"I'm not sure it's exactly my style," she stated swallowing the lump in her throat.

"Klaus might have paved over it," he sighed. "Now it's the garden, the place where I imprison my vampire enemies and those that have disappointed me."

"How romantic," she was feeling less sentimental by the second, especially when her senses confirmed that what he said was true. "Am I to decorate the walls?"

"They're buried in the floor as well, but you aren't going to join them," he continued in those soft velvet tones that reminded her of their time together.

"Then why are we here?" she wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"Klaus took our future from us, we were meant to be together, to rule together. I want you to join me," he breathed the words into her ear, goose bumps rose on her arms.

"You want me to help you kill him," she snapped the words at him moving beyond his reach.

"Yes," he said, not an ounce of regret in his eyes.

She couldn't help but laugh. "You do realize that if he dies, you do. You're of his bloodline Marcellus – whatever his fate you will share it."

He looked shocked for a moment, but only a moment, "we could imprison him here then."

Rebekah turned to look at the desolate place that was once to be her home with the man she loved. She wondered how different her life would have been had Klaus not interfered all those years ago – would Marcel and her have lived happily ever after? What would she be like if they had? Would it have made the 900 years of loneliness that proceeded them worth it? She almost shook her head in the negative, it wouldn't have been that way - not with him – he had been given a choice and regardless of whatever grand ideas he had of building them a home he had not chosen her.

Of course that didn't change the fact that her vindictive control freak of a brother had once again betrayed her, perhaps a few hundred years in the garden where just what he needed.

"What if he were cured? Would that affect his bloodline as his death would?" Marcel broke into her thoughts.

"Not as far as I'm aware, I believe it would sever the line;" she had looked into it when the dream of a human life was still a possibility, "not that it matters, there was only one cure and that doppelganger bitch took it."

He starred at her for a few moments as though considering. "I meet a witch a while ago, shortly after Klaus arrived in New Orleans in fact, she claimed to be a descendant of Qetsiyah and in exchange for a service she gave me the cure. I had intended to use it on Elijah seeing as there is only one white oak stake still in existence, still I'm adaptable," he smiled.

All of Rebekah's breath left her lungs and for a moment she had difficulty recalling how to fill them again when the gravity of his words hit her. "You were going to kill one brother and cure the other, what was my intended fate?"

He approached her slowly, his hand reached up and as his fingers ran lightly across her cheek, he answered; "I would never hurt you."

Rebekah wanted so much to believe him, to believe that, though he had failed her in the past, he loved her and would never betray her again.

"You want me to give it to him?" she knew the answer, just as she knew that he had intended to convince her to steal the white oak stake from her brother, something she would never have done considering that it could be used to kill all three of them.

"I want you to shove it down the bastard's throat," his soft voice in-congruent with his words.

She had stood by her brother for a thousand years, through one betrayal after another – Rebekah the ever faithful, always and forever. On the trail for the cure she had considered what she might do should the Mystic Falls brigade try to use it against Klaus as they had clearly intended before the discovery that there was only one, but she had never reached a conclusion. Could she do it? She really didn't know.

"What was the service?" she asked to put off committing one way or the other.

"I am to use the second dose on Silas," he told her in an even voice.

"There are two doses?" her heart leaped in her chest.

He nodded, his eyes fixed on her face, his fingers still caressing her cheek.

"What if we take it together?" it was more a test than a question.

"I couldn't even if I wanted to," which his eyes told her he most assuredly didn't want to. "She made me take a blood oath; I cannot use the second dose on anyone but Silas."

"I see," she gazed into his eyes.

"I love you Rebekah," he leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips.

"What about Cami?" she watched him carefully for a reaction.

"She means nothing," he said and she believed him. "She was a distraction, you are now and have always been my Queen."

"I'll do it," she smiled and crashed her lips on his.

* * *

Caroline knew exactly where she was, she'd certainly spent enough time there the last few hours – it seemed as though every time she was on the verge of returning to the land of the living something sent her straight back. She wasn't stupid, she knew exactly what that something or rather someone was, Silas. The asshole was clearly breaking her neck each and every time that she approached consciousness which by her count was numbering four.

For some reason each time she died she returned to Connie's living room illusion, but Connie was nowhere in sight. She wondered why it was that she didn't go to the Other Side like other Supernaturals did when they died, what was it that made her come here even without Connie to talk to?

"You die a lot," Connie's voice was a welcome interruption.

"It's about time; I've been dying of boredom."

"Oh so that's what kept killing you," Connie responded, another comment verging on humorous. Caroline was almost shocked.

"Silas keeps snapping my neck," she muttered.

"Hardly surprising seeing as he has your friend Bonnie taking down the veil," Connie said as though it wasn't overly interesting.

"What?" Caroline practically screamed. "He can't do that! They'll all die!"

"They are already dead Caroline," Connie reminded.

"But they'll cease to be," Caroline thought she was angry before but she was positively vibrating in anger now. "He can't."

"He can, and he is," Connie intoned ever the bearer of bad news.

"Can't you stop him?" she asked her hopefully.

"I suppose I could."

"But you won't," Caroline wondered if there was anything the woman actually gave a damn about.

"Of course not," and the woman went so far as to roll her eyes.

Caroline closed her eyes and tried to will herself awake.

"What are you doing?" Connie asked almost sounding amused.

"Trying to wake up," she told her with a sigh.

"Good luck with that."

Her eyes snapped open. "Hang on, what happens if I don't wake up before he destroys the Other Side?"

"To you?" Caroline nodded. "As you aren't a resident, nothing."

"But I'm dead, and that's where dead Supernaturals go," she said her dread building.

"Not all, and not you – not anymore, never again," Connie sat down on the couch.

"Because of your blood?" it wasn't too much of a leap.

"Precisely," Connie responded.

"What did you do to me?" she asked in a small voice.

"I improved you," and was there something approaching pride in those black eyes?

"Improved me how?"

"I made you more like me," Connie paused a moment and then continued, "you are not as inferior as you once were, you are more now."

"How so?" she needed to know and quickly, she felt herself being drawn back to the land of the living.

"You are aware of some of the changes surely, witches cannot limit you, you can read people if you touch them, compulsion will not work, Hybrid venom has no effect…"

Caroline cut her off, "just how would I know Hybrid venom doesn't affect me?"

"You drank enough of it at the bar," Connie smiled her small smile.

"I drank it?" The pull on her consciousness increased, she began to panic, "what else? Is there anything else?"

"You can get out of the tomb Caroline, the power is within you," and with that Connie was gone.

_What tomb?_

Caroline's eyes opened and she found herself in complete darkness, her hands measured her prison – it was marble, cold, and she was enclosed.

"Oh right, this tomb." She pushed against what appeared to be the lid with all her might and found herself unable to shift it, "she said I could get out."

_How?_

* * *

Silas was impatient, not merely because he had waited two thousand years to claim his victory over Qetsiyah, but because he had left Caroline locked in a marble tomb with her neck snapped for the fourth time that evening – it seemed that her recovery time was speeding up – and he was only too aware she would have woken up by now and waking up alone would do nothing but increase her ire. Being that it would be directed at him, he was really hoping that the Bennett witch hurried so that he could return to her and start damage control before she began a full blown tantrum.

As though in answer to his prayers in the distant he heard the hum of an engine and not too long after the witch he had sent entered the graveyard with both the Bennett witch and what he could only assume was the resurrected Original. "Bonnie, so lovely of you to join us," he motioned for the remaining ten witches to step forward.

"Where is she?" Bonnie asked her eyes scanning each face, her expression becoming increasingly frustrated as she failed to find her.

"Somewhere safe I assure you," he smiled. "Please take your place," he pointed to the circle of lamps at the center of the graveyard.

"I want to see her first," she crossed her arms.

"You will perform the spells now Bonnie or you will never see her again," he told her in an icy voice.

"Let's not be unreasonable mate, just a wee glimpse of the tasty blonde will do," the Original smiled widely.

"This isn't a negotiation and we aren't mates," he motioned towards the circle yet again. "I have a coven to assist you, and you'll be happy to know that earlier today I killed twelve vampires, werewolves and witches to insure that there is more than enough power available for you to succeed."

Bonnie swallowed heavily and then took her place; the Original remained by her side but was giving Silas a baleful glare. "Assist her," he told the witches who stepped forward and formed a circle around the Bennett witch.

Silas was bordering on gleeful as Bonnie began the spell, first channeling the other eleven and then drawing upon the expression triangle she drew down the veil. He felt it go down and knew that somewhere in New Orleans Qetsiyah had felt it too, must surely know what he was doing, what he was making her ancestor do. No doubt all over NOLA ghosts were appearing, but they would not linger for long.

He held his breath as Bonnie began on the second part of the spell, watched in fascination as each of the other witches fell, the life force sucked out of them. There was a sudden blast of energy and he knocked off his feet, just as he found them again a second blast rendered him unconscious. Silas awoke a few minutes later to find that the Bennett witch and the Original - if he was still around of course - were gone leaving in their wake eleven dead witches and, he was fairly certain, a newly destroyed Other Side.

Somehow he felt lighter all of a sudden, laughter erupted from his lips. He was so close now, so close to making her pay.

"What did you do?" her angry voice put an end to his laughter.

"Caroline, I..." he didn't quite know what to tell her, that he just killed every being on the Other Side as step one in a two step plan to extract his vengeance on Qetsiyah after two thousand years of torment? That he chose to be selfish, chose to be evil and locked her away because he couldn't do it if she was watching?

"Silas, what did you do?" she asked again, her voice breaking as sobs retched her small form.

Suddenly he didn't feel quite so elated, she crumbled to the ground and he jumped up to take her in his arms. "I'm sorry, Caroline, I'm so sorry," not for killing them mind you, no never that, he was sorry that he had hurt her.

"Why?" she asked her voice soft and oh so small.

"For two thousand years I endured so that when I was awoken I could take my revenge on the woman that destroyed all that was good in my life - this is what I am Caroline, this is what she made me," he whispered the words into her golden hair. "She's back Caroline, she came back, but I'm going to kill her and when she dies she will cease to be and I will have avenged my love."

"What would she have thought of the  _collateral_  damage to your revenge?"

"She would have wept for them, just as you do," he dragged her up. "Time to go."

"I'm not going anywhere with you!" she pushed him away from her and turned her back.

"I really am sorry," he said before snapping her neck for the fifth time that evening.


	33. Chapter 33

Hayley had woken up in worse places, well almost, but she didn't think she'd ever felt quite so dreadful when she did so. It was cold, dark and she was so very tired. Her bones ached, icy fingers seemed to dig into her very marrow – the oblivion of sleep beckoned despite the voices, the snatches of conversation that invaded her hearing. Somehow the voices sounded both close and far away, she couldn't make out what they were saying, but she didn't really care. She was so very tired, and might have just lay down and gone back to sleep, but her throat was burning. It was on fire, as hot as the rest of her was cold.

Her eyes snapped open; the floor beneath her was concrete and cold, but nowhere near cold enough to explain the chill that captured her body. She raised to her feet slowly her eyes travelling the room, it was dark, so very dark and yet she could make out the details. On the back wall Tyler was chained, hanging limply from his arms, surrounding him were a collection of devices she was mostly unfamiliar with but suspected each was a tool for torture. Behind her there was a door and it was open, the floating voices came from beyond along with something else a coppery scent that made her throat burn all the hotter.

Images, fragments of events that occurred prior to her awakening in the room, came back to her then jumbled and out of order. She remembered the woods, blood trickling down her throat, her pack's deaths…Klaus.

The smell took her from her memories pulling her back, insistent that she reside in the present. Her feet moved forward of their own accord, towards the delightful scent that she was convinced was the only thing capable of quenching the fire in her throat. She needed it more than she had ever needed anything in her entire existence; Tyler was forgotten along with her tiredness and everything else. Nothing existed except for her burning throat and that delicious scent.

"Ah, I see you are awake," his voice seemed unnaturally loud.

"Klaus," there was never anyone she wanted to see less, she was so very tired and her throat…he had feed her his blood. "What did you…" she remembered him snapping her neck.

He stood in front of her not speaking with a devilish smirk upon his face.

"Oh shit, I'm…no," but she was, the burning in her throat confirmed it. She was in transition. Hayley had never wanted to become a Hybrid, no matter how painful turning each month was, she hadn't wanted it. Until of now of course, when the choices were transition or die. That was assuming, of course, that Klaus would give her a choice.

"I need the Doppelganger's blood," she said, hoping against hope that he hadn't decided her time was up.

"Yes, you do," he answered smirk still firmly in place.

She knew what he wanted, he wanted her to beg him, she was proud but she wasn't stupid. "Please?"

"Hmmm, well isn't this an interesting turn of events," he said as though he was actually surprised which she was sure he wasn't.

Hayley was of the opinion that the two of them were alike, perpetual survivors – always looking out for number one. But believing that they were alike and knowing what to say in order to get him to save her were two completely different things. "Please Klaus, please help me," she knew she sounded desperate, she was.

"Like you helped Caroline?" his lips formed a firm line his eyes burning.

Was there any point in denying it now? And if she did would he help her? She didn't think so, in fact she rather thought the opposite was true, Klaus would be more inclined to keep her among the living if she admitted it. "I didn't think I had a choice," she told him lifting her chin and holding his gaze.

"Well now you do," he tossed her a vile. "You can die…" he smirked again, "or you can drink that and become, now what did you call it? My little bitch."

She looked at the vile in her hand, was it really that easy? Even if it was a trick there really was no other choice, she wanted to live. She drank the blood and seconds later she felt a searing pain in her abdomen then the fire in her throat spread to her mouth, specifically her gums. New teeth, fangs, cut through and though she could not see it her eyes turned yellow. Her tired body suddenly felt powerful, it was an incredible feeling and one she owed all to Klaus. "Thank you," she breathed out once she finally regained a measure of control.

He laughed, though his eyes showed no an ounce of amusement. "Now love you shouldn't be so hasty to thank me," his eyes were dark no doubt matching his thoughts. He handed her a blood bag which she drank greedily as he watched. "I think we should start," he said ominously.

"Leave her alone," Tyler's angry voice interjected from behind her, she spun around to face him and judging by his shocked expression she had clearly done so at Hybrid speed.

"Too late for that mate," Klaus responded with obvious glee. "Hayley turn back around," he ordered.

And she just had to comply, something within her could not deny him – she shuddered, being sired to Klaus was not on her bucket list. Still it wasn't overly worrying, after all she knew precisely how to break the bond. She stared into her Sire's eyes, already planning her eventual escape.

His eyes dilated, "You will not break the Sire bond."

"I will not break the Sire bond," she intoned back to him. It took her a moment to realize what he had done, but when she did she was horrified. The rest of her days, however long they might number, she would be sired to Klaus – there would never be a day when she wouldn't think of him. She would always be his bitch.

"Now Tyler, I am exceedingly busy at present and quite unable to welcome you properly into my home, but as luck would have it Hayley here has time to burn so I'm going to have her cater to your needs," he was grinning now.

"Where's Caroline?" Tyler asked. "Does she know I'm…we're here?"

"Hayley I want you to show Tyler how each and every device in this room works – give him a personal demonstration, start with this," Klaus told her his voice soft, but his eyes hard as he offered her a steel tipped whip.

"No," she blurted. There was no way she was going to torture Tyler, she loved him, she could never…but her feet moved and her hand curled around the whip. She stared at it shocked, surprised to find in in her hands.

Shock turned to horror as her arm moved backwards and then flashed forward towards the prone Tyler. There was an awful slapping sound as the whip connected to Tyler's flesh biting into it; splitting it open.

"That's it love," Klaus' voice taunted her.

She went to put the whip back when she heard Klaus tut, "Tyler's little slow, I'm not sure he quite understands the concept yet."

Hayley wanted to put the whip down, she wanted to do anything back go back to stand in front of Tyler, but something made her want to please Klaus. Something made her need to. Tyler didn't cry out - not at first - but as she brought the whip down time and again he eventually was unable to remain silent. He screamed and as he did Hayley's heart broke.

"Be sure to show him them all love," Klaus said softly before turning and exiting the room.

"I'm so sorry," she sobbed as she picked up a club-like object with spikes on the head.

She just couldn't stop.

* * *

He couldn't stay away, not with all the rumors of Armageddon flying around. Finding where the Original's were hanging was exceedingly easy, getting in was not. Which was why Damon had been sitting in his car for four hours watching the mansion in which Klaus resided and hoping like hell someone he knew would turn up before his ass turned numb.

It wasn't as though they didn't know he was there or anything, when he'd arrived he'd gone straight to the intercom and told them he was there. No one had answered, but the camera had turned towards him. Damon was quite certain that Klaus had left him outside for no other reason than to piss him off.

Objective achieved - he was royally pissed.

He had had enough so he got out of his car popped the trunk and removed the tire iron walked straight up to the gate and smashed the intercom into tiny pieces. He briefly contemplated tossing it at the camera, but considering there was some sort of barrier that prevented him entering he figured it would be unwise. The last thing he needed was a tire iron rebounding off the barrier and lodging itself into his stomach.

"Klaus!" he yelled out. "Let me in you dick!"

"That's destruction of personal property," David's snide voice piped up from behind him.

"It's about time! I've been waiting for hours," he fumed.

David shrugged his shoulders, "I've been out."

"Well now that you're back, let me in," he was so over waiting.

"Yeah, here's the thing, only Klaus can do that," David didn't look overly apologetic about it. "I can tell him you're here," he offered as he walked through the freshly opened gates.

"I'm fairly sure he knows I'm here," Damon muttered.

"He's not in the best of moods, perhaps you should come back later," David told him.

"When is he ever in a good mood?" he asked frustrated. "Is my brother in there?"

"Last time I checked," something about David screamed nervous, but right now Damon didn't really give a damn.

"Can you tell him I'm out here?" Though he kind of thought he might already be aware of his arrival.

"No problem," David said and then started to walk up the drive.

About an hour later Klaus and Stefan came down the drive, the former looking like he was about to spit fire.

"If it isn't my least favorite Original," he offered in greeting.

"What are you doing here?"Klaus demanded.

"Heard some rumors about end of days starting in NOLA and I thought I'd come check it out," he turned his attention to Stefan, something was going on with the Original Hybrid and it put him on edge. "Elena and the human's are fine, I left them in Spain sunning it up."

Stefan gave a strained smile and then shared a look with Klaus. The Hybrid didn't look impressed, he looked about set to go on a killing spree. "Fine, won't you come in Damon?" each word was clipped as though it pained him to say them, once they were uttered Klaus flashed away.

"You never did have the best timing," Stefan said, his voice strangely wavered. "It was as likely that he'd rip your heart out as invite you in," his brother looked back towards the house his eyes dark.

"How are you?"

Stefan smiled though it didn't reach his eyes, "not bad, all things considered."

"All things considered?" he inquired as they headed towards the house.

"Marcel took Rebekah, Bonnie has disappeared and..." Stefan turned away for a moment, his eyes turned dark as veins formed under his eyes, "and Silas has Caroline."

"Guess that explains the angry Hybrid," he chuckled.

"You think this is funny?" Stefan hissed.

He really didn't, but it wasn't exactly unexpected. When had anything ever gone according to plan? They had to be the unluckiest group of Supernaturals in history, hell they had to be the unluckiest group of people period. Damon looked Stefan over, his brother was clearly haven't difficulty with control and he rather imagined the absence of Blondie was responsible.

"Caroline will be fine, old dead guys love her," he half joked.

Stefan glared at him, but his face returned to normal.

"Don't worry little brother, I'm here now. They'll be back annoying us in no time," he hoped he would be proven right.

Stefan managed half a smile, but didn't look overly convinced.

"Oh come on, when have I ever let you down?"

Stefan merely stared at him, one eyebrow lifted.

"Lately...when have I let you down lately?" Was it really too much to ask that his brother let the last few decades of disappointments go?


	34. Chapter 34

Bonnie started awake, her body shooting up into a seated position. Her eyes snapped around and settled on Kol who stood not far off. Her mind took her back to the events in the graveyard – had she really done that?

"What happened?" she asked dreading his answer, but needing to know.

Kol turned towards her, his eyes had never looked so human, so sad. "Precisely what Silas wanted," he answered in a strangely monotone voice before turning to look out a small window.

"I killed them, oh my god, I…" she broke off; she couldn't quite comprehend what she had done. It seemed to her then that the Bonnie in the graveyard was another person, and perhaps she was. At that time she had only thought of her friend, she hadn't thought about the consequences of what she was doing. But now, now she was very aware of the consequences, aware of exactly what she had done. Her eyes searched for a distraction, something to take her mind off what a horrible excuse for a human being she was – the room she had awoken in was plain but comfortable, a hotel room she thought. "How did we get here?"

"I brought you here after you were knocked out," Kol continued in the same voice.

"The spell knocked me out?" she didn't recall feeling faint, she had felt powerful as though she could have destroyed and remade the Other Side again and again.

"I don't think so," he turned to face her. "There was an energy burst as the Other Side was destroyed. Silas was knocked off his feet but you were not affected, you seemed…" he paused, "removed if anything, as though the magic had taken over. The spell was completed before the second blast of energy that rendered both you and Silas unconscious."

"But not you?" she remembered very little of what occurred after she linked to the other witches.

"No," he answered.

"Because you're a ghost?" she really needed to concentrate on something besides her mass murder.

"Possible," he said with actual inflection. "It didn't feel like…" he lapsed into silence.

She was intrigued. "Is there another explanation?"

"Perhaps it liked me better," he gave her a pointed look.

"And didn't like Silas or I?" she sounded as uncertain about the theory as she felt. Could such things be selective?

A knock at the door brought her out of her contemplation, were they expecting someone? Kol's expression indicated otherwise, still he opened it without even bothering to check who was behind.

"Well, this is a surprise," he said before stepping back to allow the other person entrance.

"I would imagine not too much of one all things considered," Tessa remarked upon entering the room.

"What are you doing here?" Bonnie breathed out.

"I've decided on my price," the other witch remarked.

Bonnie was confused. "Your price?"

"And just what is it?" Kol cut in, the mischievous light back in his eyes.

"Following the spell I will require your assistance," Tessa paused, her eyes turning to meet Bonnie's, "and yours as well."

"Assistance with what?" Kol asked for both of them.

"Another spell or two," Tessa said with a touch of condescension.

A small small smile played on Kol's lips, Bonnie almost smiled back at him. "Sure, why not," he said.

Bonnie wasn't exactly keen on agreeing to being a party to another monstrosity. "What kind of spell?" she asked suspicious.

"Really? You just destroyed the Other Side and sentenced almost every Supernatural in existence to a permanent death, but you care about what kind of spell  _I_  intend to perform?" Tessa laughed and Bonnie cringed.

"Hmm, about that, just how will this work without the spirits?" Kol interrupted.

"I don't require them," the woman snapped as though he had insulted her.

Kol snorted, but didn't appear even remotely surprised. Every powerful spell Bonnie had cast had required the Spirits assistance, well except the one that killed her and...

Bonnie made the connection. "You practice Expression."

"Well, that and the witches of New Orleans practice ancestral magic so destroying the other side has not diminished them," Tessa stated as she moved back to the door. "Come along then."

"Where?" she asked.

"The graveyard, of course," Tessa seemed surprised that she would have to ask. "Unless you know of a better place?" she remarked as she headed back to the door.

Bonnie exchanged a look with Kol, he had explained to her how the witches of New Orleans magic worked that they drew upon their bonded ancestors and this is why they would not just leave. There was no better place in New Orleans to work a spell than the graveyard. After all how many other places were the seat of an area's ancestral magic, the epicenter of an Expression triangle, and the location where millions of Supernaturals meet their permanent end?

None.

Still Bonnie had a nagging feeling that she was out of the fire and into the frying pan, something within her told her she should not agree. However, she owed Kol he had agreed to help her in her foolhardy endeavor to save Caroline even though she was sure he knew exactly what that would entail. He had stood by and allowed her to kill Finn, to risk his own existence. She owed him, and after killing so many the idea of saving a life was appealing. Plus she didn't particularly won't to spend the rest of her life tethered to him. So despite knowing that it was probably the latest in a long line of mistakes she followed Tessa out the door.

The three arrived at the graveyard much too soon for Bonnie's taste. As the time before they were greeted by witches, these no doubt all from New Orleans – she wondered what Tessa had promised them.

"Let us begin," Tessa said moving into the center of the circle and motioning for the two of them to follow her.

Bonnie followed Kol reluctantly, but still she followed.

As soon as they were by Tessa's side the witches began. Bonnie felt the magic building around her, it was electric, almost overwhelming. As the spell progressed her eyes turned to meet Kol's and then as though it had a will of its own her hand reached out and took his. Kol smiled, not the lecherous creepy smile he displayed most often, but something genuine and joyful.

Deep in her stomach she felt a retching as though an invisible hand had reached inside her and latched hold. Icy fingers trailed up her spine and then dig into her skull – it was more unpleasant than painful. Throughout her eyes did not leave him, as the icy fingers dug into her skull he seemed to glow, his outline blurred and for a moment she thought that Tessa had betrayed them. But then he coalesced, the glow dimmed and he suddenly seemed more real.

"It is done," Tessa murmured.

Kol's smile widened, but then his eyes followed suit and his hand flew from hers to rest on his chest. "What have you done?" he whispered, his own body radiating shock.

Tessa smiled, "I brought you back."

"Kol, what's wrong?" Bonnie asked him, though she suspected she knew.

"I'm  _human_ ," he said it like a curse.

"Not quite," Tessa said smugly. "Now, I believe you owe me your assistance," she continued as she set a bowl into the center of the circle.

"But  _I'm_  human," Kol said his voice turning hard.

"You were never human," Tessa dismissed. "Take your places in the circle," her voice just as hard.

" _No_ ," Kol uttered.

Tessa's eyes blazing. "I'd be careful if I were you."

"You broke the agreement," Bonnie interrupted the quarrel.

"I did no such thing," the other witch sneered.

"Kol wasn't human," Bonnie said as she retook his hand.

Tessa smirked, then laughed. "We agreed I would bring him back, no one ever stipulated in what form that would take."

"Hilarious," Kol snapped.

Bonnie was convinced that if the opportunity arose Kol would kill Tessa if he was able.

"Now, take your places."

"And just what do you expect  _me_  to do?" Kol asked.

"I expect you to stand in the circle and allow me to channel you as I will the others," Tessa told him smirk firmly in place. "After all Kol, you may have died a vampire, but you were born a warlock."

"He what?" Bonnie's eyes were so wide she thought they might pop out. Kol was…is…a warlock?

"Kol's a warlock and the two of you owe me your assistance. So take your places and do so now, I really don't take betrayal overly well," Tessa's gaze fixed upon them both and Bonnie felt a chill run down her spine.

Bonnie pulled a seemingly dumbstruck Kol into their places in the circle, something told her that now was not the time to go against Tessa. A short time later Tessa began yet another spell. It was astounding to Bonnie that even with the other witches help Tessa was able to work any kind of spell after bringing Kol back to the living. The first spell had taken one hell of a lot of power, it should have weakened the witch that cast it, yet she seemed as strong as ever.

The woman was no ordinary witch Bonnie knew that from the moment she met her, but she had never seen such power. It wasn't until a moment before Bonnie joined with Tessa that she realized, "Qetsiyah."

Bonnie was lost for a time, no longer anything but a conduit, it was not like the other times she had channelled or been channelled. This time Qetsiyah took over and all that she used were practically unconscious. When she came back to herself it was over.

"You should leave," Qetsiyah stood in front of her and advised.

"Why the name Tessa?"

"It's more modern," the woman, her ancestor, smiled.

"What was the spell?" Kol asked.

"None of your business. If you are wise you will leave this town," Qetsiyah said turning away.

"And if we're not?" Kol asked again.

"You will die," and with that Qetsiyah departed.

"Somehow I thought she'd be cooler," Kol muttered by her side.

She couldn't quite prevent her lips from curling up into a smile. "You're an idiot."

"Well come on Bon Bon, we need to go get ourselves a ride," Kol announced walking towards the opposite exit from Qetsiyah.

"Where are we going?" she asked running to catch up.

"To tell my psycho brother about our run in with your psycho ancestor," he replied as he approached a car.

"Is that wise?" Bonnie couldn't help but ask as she followed him.

"I thought we had already established that I'm an idiot," he grinned and smashed the window with his elbow before his face twisted in pain. "Son of a…"

* * *

It was time, it was well passed time, but before they saved Rebekah Klaus had one task to perform. It wasn't something he ever imagined he would do – it was sentimental, it was compassionate, it was  _weak_. This is what Caroline had reduced him to, she didn't even have to be present to have him acting like an overemotional fool.

"Hello Elijah," he greeted his brother at the gates.

"Niklaus," Elijah nodded, calm as ever.

"Won't you come in?" Klaus allowed entry.

Elijah looked momentarily puzzled and then realization shone in his eyes, he took a step over the border and brought Klaus into a most unwanted hug. Neither Niklaus nor Elijah was much of a huger and so it was not a frequent occurrence – barely any considering their thousand years on the planet. Klaus felt his eyes begin to water and pushed his brother off him, was it not enough that he was doing this, did Elijah have to make such a spectacle?

Klaus turned and walked towards the house without another word, aware of that his brother took nearly a full minute to move and follow. He kept his eyes focussed on their destination, not turning them when Elijah flashed forward to walk beside him nor even when he spoke. "Thank you Niklaus."

It had been a long time since Elijah had thanked him for anything, of course it had been a long time he'd had reason to. Klaus did not respond at first, unwanted emotions rolled through him, he was at a loss for words. He turned towards his brother and meet his gaze, Elijah's eyes were like a dagger to his heart - they were bordering on joyous. For some reason it offended Klaus.

"She's going to die you know," he said it snidely, with malicious intent. It wasn't that he didn't want his brother to be happy, it was just that his brother's happiness reminded him of his own misery.

"Not necessarily," Elijah's eyes were pitying as though he understood exactly why Klaus had lashed out. After a thousand years, no doubt he did.

"I have already had witches look into it, she cannot be turned," he just couldn't help but be pleased at the momentary hurt that flashed through Elijah's eyes.

"We will find a way," Elijah said and then flashed into the house.

Klaus did not follow, but he heard their reunion – Katherine's shocked gasp as Elijah made his entrance, her blubbering as his brother told her that Klaus had released her and they would be together. Elijah's promise that he would find a way to save her.

At that point he had had enough, he flashed away from the house, just far enough that their happiness could not torment him further. He wasn't certain just how much time passed before Elijah was back at his side, but he didn't much care. "Are you ready?" he asked him, not wanting to give him an opportunity to do something undesirable such as thank him a second time.

Elijah nodded, then looked off into the distance. Klaus did not follow his gaze, instead he looked him over. His brother, as always, was dressed impeccably in one of his suits – he looked no different, and yet…

He seemed lighter, as though a burden had been lifted off his shoulders – Klaus wanted to be happy for him, really he did, but he couldn't find it within himself. Not without  _her_.

"We are going to be a family again Niklaus," his brother's voice was dripping with conviction. "First, we will retrieve Rebekah," Elijah turned until their gazes meet, "then Caroline."

Klaus almost smiled.


	35. Chapter 35

If not for the cure lodged securely in her cleavage Rebekah would have sworn the first couple days of her arrival was nothing but a fantasy, her awakening in the beautiful room she once called home a dream. The accommodation had gone downhill, rather like being moved from the presidential suite at the Chicago Ritz-Carlton to a one dollar dorm bed at the Garden Village Guesthouse in Cambodia. She'd gone from the comfort of her former room to the compound's dungeon – no longer in Marcel's pleasant company she was now the guest of two vampire minions who appeared to take sadistic pleasure in making her stay as uncomfortable as possible. Were it not for the fact that the two of them would undoubtedly soon be meeting exceedingly unfortunate ends at the hands of her brothers – when they finally decided to show up that is – she'd have reached inside their mouths and pulled their hearts out by now.

Well, if it wasn't for the vervain ropes and the stakes that made her look like a pin cushion.

Sitting in the chair awaiting  _rescue_  gave her plenty of time to consider what she would do when she finally got out of it. She had agreed to help Marcel not because she had actually decided to do so, but rather because it seemed like the most expedient way to get what she wanted - namely the cure and her release. Of course that didn't mean she wasn't going to consider his proposal, far from it.

Rebekah distracted herself from the pain, from her screams by going over the thousand different ways that she had been betrayed over the years. Well, the ones when she wasn't confined to a coffin. Most of those betrayals were delivered by her favorite brother - yes there was the smattering of intemperate lovers, but they were forgettable in comparison.

Nik was a bastard in more ways than one, but she loved him - did he love her?

Wasn't love supposed to be selfless, didn't you actually want those you loved to be happy? Nik seemed to spend the majority of his time - what little he spared on her that is - insuring she was anything but. She loved him, but perhaps she was better off without him, perhaps he was the reason why happiness was always out of her reach.

It had hurt her when she thought that she had lost him, when she thought that Caroline had died and her brother was beyond redemption. She had been overjoyed to discover the blonde wasn't dead, she had thought that the baby vampire would help to mend their relationship. Rebekah had thought that with Caroline back safe, the brother she loved, that sweet human Nik, might return to the realm of the living. She had thought that Elijah's dream of a rebuilt family might just be achievable, but then they reached New Orleans and nothing changed. Nik didn't seem overly interested in anything but taking back his kingdom.

She barely saw him, rarely even spoke to him, he wouldn't even allow her to enter his house. It hurt. Rebekah had felt as though he had abandoned her yet again that once more she was relegated to the sidelines of his life - utterly unimportant. Unloved. She felt as though the brother she adored was truly dead and the man that now existed in the place once reserved for him only ever thought of her when there was some service she might provide to further his goals. He did not love her.

If it were not so, surely he would have come for her by now.

She did not imagine Caroline would have been made to wait so long. Rebekah was aware the other blonde was taken by Silas - had seen him take her. She imagined that Nik would not have delayed his rescue of that other blonde regardless of whether or not she was in any real danger. No, whatever else Caroline was, she was important to Nik - quite unlike herself.

After sitting in the chair being tortured for the last few hours - a period far longer than she felt was reasonable - she came to a conclusion. If she was so low on her brother's priority list that he would leave her to be tortured for - as far as he was aware - three whole days then shouldn't he be a little bit lower on hers?

Like somewhere below picking up someone else's chewing gum from the sidewalk low.

Yes, she decided. It was time to be as selfish as he was, she would do it. Amazing what a few short hours of torture could do to one's resolve, she would shove the cure down her ungrateful brother's throat. It was about time he felt what it was to be vulnerable, time for him to regret how he had treated her throughout their years together. It was time for the great Niklaus to be taken down a few pegs, and was there really any better way than to be reduced to a mere mortal?

Of all his siblings she had been the most loyal, the one that he could always turn to, the one that always had his back. What what did he ever give her in return? Betrayal and heartache, that's what. So she would do it - she would hurt him as badly as he had hurt her, worse even.

However, she would not be assisting Marcel any further, she would not help him with Elijah. Quite the reverse. The war for New Orleans would not end with a Vampire King, neither Nik nor Marcel would win. Neither one of them deserved to. She would exact her revenge upon her brother and then she do the same to Marcel.

First, however, she was in need of rescue and with each splash of vervain and stabbing of wood she was all the more impatient for it.

_Where the bloody hell are they?_

Dead man walking number one was again before her expressing his barbarous tendencies by making thin slices into her arm with a vervain tipped knife when she heard something in the distance. A disturbance, raised voices, screams that were not her own. Her  _rescue_  party.

Naturally, she had heard them before her captors who continued for a few minutes longer before they caught on to exactly what was happening. By then it was too late, her brother's too close for them to escape - still Dead man walking two gave it a good ol' try. Elijah ripped his Trachea from his throat and then removed his head for good measure - it pleased her to no end that his suit was so bloodied to be irremediable. It impressed her less when Nik removed number one's bowels before his heart - when wasn't the man covered in blood?

It was Elijah who removed her bonds, burning his hands in the process, but the two ripped the stakes from her flesh before Elijah lifted her into his arms. "You'll be fine little sister," he quietly assured her as Nik looked on seemingly unmoved.

"Let's go," was all her former favorite managed before turning away and leading them out. They were escorted from the compound by a honor guard of Hybrids, yet another group of beings her brother believed were more important than herself she mused. There was little resistance to their departure, it appeared as though her brother's and the Hybrids had killed almost all of the residents on the way in. Rebekah wondered where Marcel and his inner circle had gone, she doubted they were present.

Elijah bundled her into an SUV and then pushed a blood bag into her hands. "Drink Rebekah, you are weak," he said.

She smiled at him and drank as instructed, all the time thinking how wrong he was - she had never been stronger. In short order they arrived at their destination which she was surprised to discover was not Elijah's mansion but Nik's. "Come in, Rebekah," Nik invited before the vehicle entered the gates.

She offered no response. When the vehicle stopped she pushed the door open and exited. With confident strides she moved to the front door and entered the grande foray - it was much like she expected, lavish. "Do I have a room?" she asked.

"Of course Rebekah," Nik answered, his voice softer than before.

Was it time? She didn't think so, not while he was hyped up on the latest of his killing sprees. No, she would need to wait until he was suitably distracted. Speaking of... "Where's Caroline?" she wondered aloud.

"We have yet to retrieve Miss Forbes," Elijah replied while Nik's eyes darkened.

"You don't know where she is?"

"You were the priority," Nik muttered darkly then turned away from them.

Her breath caught in her throat, her eyes widened in shock. "You chose me," she spoke so softly she doubted that even they could have heard her, but Nik turned back meeting her eyes. He looked lost, utterly bewildered, never in all her years had she seen him like that - never in all his years would he have allowed it. She understood then what it had cost him, what he had jeopardized in choosing to save her first. He loved her after all. she reached into her cleavage, removed the vile and held it out to him.

He looked at it with a somewhat suspicious expression before her took it. "What's this?" he asked but she suspected he might have guessed.

"It's the cure Marcel wanted me to toss down your throat," she told him before heading over to the stairs.

"Why?" he questioned turning the vile over in his hand.

She knew what he was asking of course, she'd known him long enough. He wanted to know why she had decided not to. Why she had chosen him. Why she had changed her mind.

"I'm fickle remember," she told him with a small smile. She didn't miss the upturn of his lips or the moistening eyes he directed her way. "Now, my room?"

* * *

"I know you're awake," Silas told her. He watched as she finally gave up all pretense and sat up with a sigh. "Before you ask, I had it on good authority that snapping your neck would not result in your untimely demise," he said with a small smile.

"I'm not talking to you," she sneered back at him before turning to show him her back.

"I'm not sorry," he said, not moving any closer nor attempting to circle around to see her face. He was only too aware that she would simply turn herself around again, stubborn as she was.

Caroline turned her head slightly towards him, not enough so that he could see her face mind you, but enough that he knew she would be attentive to his words. He wondered briefly if it was inbreed politeness or something else, he hoped for the latter. "I'm sorry I hurt you, but I'm not sorry about anything else," he paused awaiting a reaction that wasn't forthcoming. "I'm not a good person Caroline, I wasn't even before all this. Two thousand years ago Qetsiyah and I were friends, the best of friends, as far as I was concerned that is all we were ever to be. I was in love with Amara, she was the light of my life, but I wanted more - I wanted to live forever with Amara at my side."

Caroline hadn't moved a muscle, he wondered how long she would keep it up.

"Qetsiyah was in love with me, I knew it and I used it to get what I wanted. I never thought about what would happen when she found out, I never thought she would hurt Amara. She killed her and consigned me to an eternity without her..."

"That's no excuse," Caroline cut in.

"No, I suppose it is not, but Amara was everything good in my life, everything good in me," he sighed.

"You're not wholly bad," she said turning to face him in a somewhat begrudging manner.

"I'm not sure anyone else would agree with you darling," he smiled sadly.

She sighed. "What now?"

He raised his eyebrows questioning.

"What do you plan to do now that the Other Side is destroyed?" she asked tiredly.

"I plan to kill Qetsiyah," he rather thought that was clear.

"And then what?" she prodded.

"Then I die," as though that wasn't obvious.

"No you won't," she told him sternly.

He couldn't help but laugh, it was short in duration, but a laugh none-the-less. "Well, I admit that it will take some doing, but with the bitch gone there will be none capable of stopping me."

Caroline rose then, like a Queen she stood tall and proud. "I won't allow it," she announced as though she actually thought she had the power to stop him.

"Caroline..." he started only to be interrupted yet again.

"No, you killed everyone on the Other Side, you erased their existence. So you don't get what you want, you don't deserve it," she snapped.

She was just full of surprises. "What do you suggest?" it wasn't that he intended to do as she said, he just couldn't help but indulge her.

"You live, that is your penance," she seemed so certain.

"For how long?" he just couldn't stop.

"Until I say otherwise," she nodded her head in affirmation.

For some reason he was smiling, he didn't quite know why that was. Perhaps it was because she wanted him to live, for whatever reason. Maybe it was simply because she was near. He wondered what would have become of them had circumstances differed, could she ever have been his? Would she ever have wanted to be? It was all moot now, of course, she would never chose him after his latest acts. Then again, she seemed to be the most forgiving creature on the planet.

"I don't deserve you," he told her honestly.

She smiled. "No, you don't," she moved towards the door stopping only once she had opened it. "I'm going to help you," the glorious smile had disappeared, she seemed apprehensive as though unsure if she was making the right decision.

"With my penance?" as though he had any intention of actually going change his plans.

Caroline looked down, took a large breath and then responded, "With your revenge."


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut warning - apologies if it is rubbish.

He did not normally monitor the passing of time, not in minutes, hours or days. Yet in her absence he found himself observing as seconds become minutes, minutes become hours. Days. Never in all the time spent under the sun, and avoiding it, had he paid such close attention to the movements of the second hand of a clock. Never had time dragged for him, never had he despaired at the ending of another day.

"Niklaus," Elijah's even-toned voice invaded his ears. "Your presence is required at the gate," he continued.

Klaus did not move, not even an inch, there was only one person he wanted to see and she did not require an invitation. So as far as he was concerned whomever now awaited entry at the gate could rot there.

"I believe they may have pertinent information as to the whereabouts of Miss Forbes," Elijah advised.

It had the desired effect, Klaus was out of his chair and at the gate in record time – not until he reached it and set eyes upon the new arrivals did it occur to him that perhaps his brother might have lied to him. But the thought was fleeting and considering just who awaited entrance and the state in which he found them Klaus was inclined to let it slide…for the time being.

Two things were immediately clear to him his brother Kol was back among the living, and was actually  _living_. The first revelation was surprising, the second astounding.

"Well, it's about time you deigned to join us," Kol sounded annoyed but a satisfied smirk graced his face.

"Kol," Klaus uttered somehow infusing it with everything he felt. Surprise, joy, sadness, regret…hope.

"I missed me too," Kol cheerfully responded holding his arms out wide as though expecting Klaus to run into his arms. "You know you want to Nik."

As happy as Klaus was to discover that his brother was returned to them, there was a limit.

"Enter," he encompassed both his brother and the Witch at his side in the invitation, then turned and left them before they responded. He did however depart at human speed which allowed his brother to catch up, and then jump upon his back as though attempting to catch a ride. It wasn't overly surprising - his younger brother had always possessed the innate ability to annoy him – and Kol now lacking the imbued strength of a vampire was excessively easy to dislodge which Klaus did.

"Ouch!" Kol screeched upon impact with the concreted drive.

A moment later a driving pain, as though a construction crew had taken jack hammers to his brain, brought Klaus to a halt. He turned directing a murderous glare at Bonnie.

"Wrong Witch," she said with a bright smile.

It took him another few seconds to comprehend her words and redirect his glare to the guilty party who was smirking up at him from the pavement. "You're a witch?" he asked unnecessarily, he could feel it in his bones or rather his head.

Kol chuckled with glee and slowly rose to his feet, the pain in Klaus' head faded.

"Warlock, so you should really be nicer to me," his smiled dimmed a touch as he examined his elbow. "That hurt," he added a little later practically pouting.

"You brought it on yourself," Klaus dismissed and was gifted with yet more hammering in his head. He growled and flashed forward only to find Elijah barring his way.

"Enough," Elijah said tiredly while Kol smirked triumphantly behind his shoulder. "My apologies Miss Bennett, it appears my brothers are quite incapable of conducting themselves with any decorum."

"It's hardly my fault Nik is a prick," the younger brother sneered before a blonde hurricane collided with him and he ended up back on the pavement. "Bloody hell Beks," his words muffled beneath her.

"You're alive!" she exclaimed gleefully.

"I think that's been established," Klaus tone was bored, but he found a degree of enjoyment in seeing Rebekah so unapologetically delighted.

"Off, before I send you flying trollop," Kol threatened from his position beneath her. Rebekah did as he asked, back on her feet in a flash and dragging him to his shortly thereafter. "Before you ask, I have returned to the living as a warlock - not quite as fun as an Original Vampire, but I shall make do," he grinned and once again pain flooded Klaus' head.

"Kol," Elijah admonished.

"Tessa is Qetsiyah," Bonnie broke in.

"Sandwich short of a picnic that one; scary crazy," Kol said and earning an incredulous look from Bonnie. "What?"

Bonnie shook her head. "She channeled us to perform a spell, we have no idea what it was," she meet Klaus' eyes with a defiant glare as though awaiting an outburst.

"After she brought Kol back I assume," Elijah murmured. Klaus rather thought that his brother wasn't looking for confirmation so much as thinking out loud, processing what this might mean.

"And in other news, Silas destroyed the Other Side," Kol announced with a bright smile as though under the illusion they might think it was good news.

At this Bonnie's gaze moved to her feet, avoiding each and every pair of the accusing eyes that sought her out. Klaus wasn't overly concerned, in fact had it not been for his surrounding siblings who he suspected would mourn the permanent death of at least Finn - for the immediate future - he might just have smiled. Sure his elder brother would never return and perhaps he was a touch saddened at the knowledge, but the gratification of knowing that Esther, Mikael, and the rather large number of other enemies he had consigned to the Other Side during his thousand years could never again darken his door far outweighed it. In fact if not for the absence of Caroline he'd have been vibrating with satisfaction.

But being that she remained beyond his reach and, more importantly, his protection he found his joy diminished. Caroline was not quite immortal enough. Baring some new ingenuity of witches there was only one thing in the world that could kill him and he had that in his possession, but he could not remove from the world all the things that could kill her.

However much he wanted to.

Following a somewhat boring description of Kol and Bonnie's exploits since they absconded on the giant failure of a mission to retrieve Caroline there was an even more uninteresting discussion on what Qetsiyah and Silas might do next. Klaus endured both by knocking back nearly a full bottle of bourbon and ignoring his guests as much as possible - no mean feat considering the  _guests_. But when the conversation moved to what  _they_ should now focus on he found himself drawn back in. Who were they to decide what  _he_  should be doing, what  _his_  focus should be?

"I agree," Elijah stated in his usual even tone. "We need to determine what it is Qetsiyah wants to achieve, and whether or not this is contrary to our goals."

"Good luck with that," he interjected before he rose to his feet intent on leaving them to it.

"Niklaus, we will require your assistance," Elijah stated the obvious.

Of course they needed his assistance, he was after all the only one among them with actual manpower. Sadly for Elijah they were otherwise engaged -  _he_  was otherwise engaged.

Qetsiyah could burn the world as long Caroline was returned to him safe and sound.

He moved to the door only to find his eldest brother blocking the exit. "Really Elijah?"

"We need to find the witch Niklaus, it has to be our priority," the eldest original's voice was firm but his eyes were less certain, something resembling regret just beneath the surface. "Just as magic made us, it can unmake us," he was deadly serious.

"He won't hurt her," Bonnie interjected, her voice quiet. She didn't have to spell out to whom she was referring.

Words meant to reassure did precisely the opposite. He was aware that of all the beings on the planet Caroline was the one Silas was the least inclined to injure, but how many times had he himself hurt that which he loved? Silas and he were all too similar, the both of them obsessive, the both of them volatile when things did not go to plan.

Klaus had broken his curse, and - due to the little wolf and Tyler Lockwood's interference - moved on from his obsession with Hybrids. He had briefly dallied with the whole King of New Orleans thing before he had determined that there was nothing in the world that could make him happy excepting her. She was his obsession now, his everything, but the same could not be said for Silas. Yes, he cared for her, might even love her, but were she to come between him and that which he desired above all else...

Klaus knew what would have become of her - had he meet her earlier, had she come between him and his goal of breaking the curse he would destroyed her. He would have regretted it for centuries to come, once he had broken his curse of course, but he would have ended her.

Silas and he were all too similar.

"Enough!" he felt the anger burning in his veins. Was there ever to be a time when they did not betray him? He launched Elijah across the room and departed without further comment, disgusted that his brother should be so quick to break his word. They had an agreement, first Rebekah and then Caroline - only once she was retrieved would he entertain other schemes, regardless of the risk.

No matter how illogical it was.

He was only too aware of the dangers of leaving Qetsiyah to do as she wished, but could not find it within himself to turn from Caroline a second time. For Rebekah's safety he had managed it, but not again - provided his family was not affected he would bear the cost happily.

He  _needed_  her.

As long as he had her, he could bear many things.

* * *

Damon, so used to being at the center of things, had found himself a reluctant observer. The dysfunctional first family appeared to have little use for his services and none appeared overly concerned with how he spent his days. Most of the time they didn't bother to even acknowledge his existence so consumed were they with their thousand year old grievances and petty power plays.

And he thought Stefan and he had issues.

In the few days since his arrival the household had quickly fallen into a routine. The vampire Originals split up and scoured New Orleans for any sign of Qetsiyah. For some reason they seemed to be of the united opinion that two thousand year old crazy witches could be found if you just searched far enough for an extended period. Damon rather thought the psycho would make her appearance when she was good and ready and not one millisecond before that, but what did he know?

Kol and Bonnie spent their time working some voodoo or other unless Bonnie was storming away from Kol bleating expletives as though mortally offended whilst a cackling Kol chased after her. Damon had no idea what it was that the two of them were trying to achieve, but figured they would likely be unsuccessful considering the volatility of their relationship. He not so secretly hoped for Bonnie would fry the annoyance.

Klaus' Hybrids had two duties, guard the mansion and find Blondie - more were assigned to the latter than former.

Damon had spent most of his days either on Blondie patrol with the Hybrids and Stefan, or on crazy witch brigade with Barbie Klaus - both he considered worthless efforts, but there weren't a whole lot of options. Well not attractive ones at any rate. Following the witches arrival he had thought he may as well mix it up and spend the day in voodoo land, but a mere hour in he regretted it. Kol seemed to find it just as amusing to give him aneurysms as rile Bonnie up.

The only other option was staying at the house and amusing himself - seeing as he was banned from torturing Katherine - which ordinarily wouldn't have been a bad way to spend his time prior to doomsday. However, there was the small problem with it being the residence of the Master of Doom himself and as he wasn't permitted in the wing occupied by Mrs Elijah Mikaelson there were less places to hide.

Klaus spent most of his days avoiding everyone else, hold up in his study drinking. But every now and then the man would make an unexpected, and most unwelcome appearance. Damon had only had the misfortune to cross his path once and was firmly of the opinion that the less he saw of Klaus the better. Things didn't turn out well for him if they spent more than a few minutes in a room together, particularly if said room was home to anything remotely pointy.

Sans Blondie Klaus had gone from reprobate bastard to degenerate devil.

Damon really hoped they would find her soon as he was neck high in crazies.

The day prior to Kol and Bonnie's arrival he had an unfortunate encounter with Qetsiyah, or Crazy Bitch as he had taken to calling her. Stefan and he had been on Blondie duty with the Hybrids when they crossed paths - if you considered her stepping out of an alley doing the brain fry witchy thing and then shoving a stake in his stomach crossing paths of course. Whilst he focused on removing the offending stake Crazy Bitch made Moon Eyes at his brother before slicing open his throat. She had then proceeded to stand over Stefan with a look reminiscent of Sire bond consumed Charlotte.

Thankfully loony tune time was brought to an abrupt end by the entrance of Klaus' Hybrid army whose arrival caused her to make a hasty retreat. Damon had been excessively grateful as the woman gave him the hebejebes and the last thing recovering Ripper Stefan required was a psycho witch stalker.

Upon arriving home they were immediately accosted by the suited Original who somehow knew of the encounter and wanted a detailed account. As he'd spend most of the time on the ground in pain he had little to contribute. Stefan couldn't add much himself, being that Ms Stabby hadn't uttered a single word before the Hybrids sent her on her not so merry way.

Despite this, and Damon's firm belief that Klaus' absence from the conversation was a blessing, Elijah was obnoxiously keen on forcing his brother to reenter society and join them.

"Probably not your best idea," Rebekah said with a grimace upon entering the room.

"And why is..." Elijah fell into silence when a loud crash was heard from above.

"What the bloody hell is he up to now?" Kol joined them his eyes focused on the ceiling.

"I believe he is destroying his bedroom," Rebekah advised.

"Well, that's alright then," Kol smirked. "Still, if he's still at it come beauty sleep time one of you less destructible types will have to go have a word."

They all stared at him with blank looks.

"What? I need a good nine hours to look this pretty," Kol stated pointing to his face.

"I thought the bedrooms were spelled," Damon couldn't help but comment.

Elijah gave something of a grimace as another loud bang reverberated throughout the house. "It would appear he's not bothered to close the door."

"Such a shame those daggers don't work on him," Rebekah remarked with a rye smile.

"I suppose we should be grateful he's chosen to restrict his temper tantrum to his room," Elijah mused.

"Give him a chance, he's only just begun," Kol said, grinning maniacally.

"How long will we have to put up with this?" Rebekah asked with sigh.

"The thousand year temper tantrum?" Kol asked with a face bordering on serious. "You're the reason they have blonde jokes you know."

"Oh shut your mouth," she sneered back at him.

"Silence," Elijah's authoritative voice stopped the retort from leaving Kol's lips, his mouth hanging open for a moment before he finally shut it. Damon found the look amusing, and dearly wished Kol wore it more often. "Do you hear that?" Elijah continued.

Damon listened, at first he heard nothing which he initially took to be what Elijah was referring to - the end of the violent outburst. But then he heard something else, something distinctly familiar and...

"You have got to be kidding me," he breathed out.

"Shut the bloody door you colossal pillock!" Rebekah screeched and Damon wholeheartedly agreed with the sentiment.

"What am I missing?" Kol asked his tone approaching whining.

"I think I'll check on Katherine," Elijah announced before flashing away.

Kol watched him with a puzzled expression, "I miss super vamp hearing."

"You can have mine," Damon uttered feeling decidedly uncomfortable. "Did Klaus drink all the alcohol?"

"I bloody hope not," Rebekah grumbled.

* * *

Klaus had effectively destroyed his bedroom and was considering a trip down to the dungeon to work out a little more of his frustrations on Tyler and Hayley when a soft voice interrupted.

"I love what you've done with the place, it's very junkyard chic."

At first he thought he'd finally found his alcohol limit, he was imagining things. He turned towards the voice and found her perched at the threshold, still he was uncertain if she real or a figment of his imagination or possible alcohol poisoning. Without conscious thought he found himself breathing the same air, so close that he expected if she was real she would push him back. He wanted her to push him back.

Her hand rose, but instead of pushing him away it came to rest upon his cheek, he could not stop himself from leaning into it. Having her in such close proximity was intoxicating, her sweet scent accosted him and he closed his eyes breathing it in.

"Caroline," he didn't think he had ever sounded quite so weak. He hoped it was the alcohol, even though he felt suddenly sober and she was suddenly very real.

"Niklaus, I..." she began.

At the sound of her voice Klaus' eyes snapped open, everything suddenly so clear. He closed the little distance between them and covered her mouth with his. He kissed her gently, barely caressing her lips - fear that she would push him away, reject him, made him hesitant.

Caroline was frozen against him, her entire body tensed as tightly as a spring. As delightful as the taste of her lips against his were he could not continue, he didn't want her passive allowance - he wanted her to burn for him,  _with_  him. He moved back far enough to meet her widened gaze, her deep blue eyes were fixed upon his, her eyebrows approaching her hairline. He wondered how long it would take for shock to turn to anger, how long before she lashed out at him with that stinging tongue which could injure him like nothing else. Despair was building in his chest snaking around his heart, constricting painfully.

"Forgive me," he asked, twisting his features into an unreadable mask as he awaited her latest blow.

She was silent at first, still as a statue, just looking at him with those wide eyes. A minute passed, then another and yet another. He had an urge to flee, to depart before the killing blow was dealt, but he could not move his feet.

"No," she said softly, and he felt as though she had run him through with a white oak stake.

Caroline's eyes narrowed, her gaze leaving his to travel his form. He knew that measured gaze, she was sizing him up, cataloging the devastation she had wrought. Klaus waited for her eyes to return to his, waited for the gleam of triumph to appear in their depths as desolation shined in his. He waited for her to tear his heart out.

He did not have to wait for long,yet it felt like an eternity had past. Her shoulders straighten and she gave an almost imperceptible nod of her head before her fingers threaded through the hair at the back of his head and yanked him towards her. When their lips meet again it was not gentle, they crashed together violently, devouring. The moment her lips meet his Klaus felt an energizing warmth as though he was enveloped in her light.

Klaus tangled a hand into her golden locks pulling her head back to allow him a better angle, her lips parted in a gasp and taking advantage he thrust his tongue into her mouth. He felt her hands move to his shoulders and tug the material of his jacket down, he released her head only long enough to shed it and her own. Throughout he continued to kiss her, savoring the warmth of her wet mouth.

Her hands pushed against his chest and a cold shiver traveled up his spine at the thought that she had finally come to her senses and wanted him to stop. Then he felt her small hands at his hips gliding up under his Henley gripping the hem and pulling it upwards. He allowed her to pull it over his head and turned his attention to her top - he quickly determined that there were entirely too many buttons and tore it until it fell from her creamy skin in tatters, if she were fond of it he'd buy her a dozen. He was impatient, desperate even - her bra met the same fate as her top.

She smiled at him then, a joyous thing that set him alight, made his skin tingle. He watched mesmerized as she unbuckled his belt and tossed it aside before unzipping his jeans and releasing his straining cock. Her small hand wrapped itself around him and stole the breath from his lungs.

Without quite knowing how he managed it he shed the last of his clothing and tore the rest of hers from her body. One hand threaded back into her locks as he pulled her mouth back on his, his tongue forcefully taking possession. His other hand glided down the side of her body before gripping her leg and lifting it to his hip.

Her hand continued to slide up and down his painfully hard length cruelly testing his control until he was reduced to a single thought, he  _had_  to be inside her.

Klaus flashed them further into the room, finding a spot relatively clear of debris he pushed her against the wall and moved the hand from her hair to the apex of her legs. What his heightened sense of smell had told him his delving fingers confirmed, Caroline was wet, dripping.

While she continued to torture him Klaus slid his fingers over her slick folds worshiping her with his dexterous fingers until she gasped against his mouth. He slipped a finger inside her working it in and out a few times before adding a second and eventually a third.

When she moaned wantonly in his ear he could wait no longer, removing her hand he replaced it with his own and guided it between her folds fixing his gaze on her face so he could commit it to memory. With a gentleness he would have thought beyond him he slowly pushed himself inside her. Once he was buried to the hilt he paused, holding himself still within her quivering walls that fit him like a glove.

"Perfect," he breathed the word upon her lips, their eyes locked. A small smile played on her pouting lips, he leaned forward and claimed them yet again as he began to thrust slowly within her. He released her lips, as she lifted her remaining leg and wrapped it around his waist. Her ankles locked together forcing him deeper within her - her velvety walls gripped him like a vice.

His pace increased, he thrust hard within her drawing muffled gasps from her parted lips as his balls slammed against her ass. Caroline's hips met his each and every time, both her hands found purchase on his shoulders. He trailed one hand up her side to her breast then spiraled his fingers slowly inward until he reached her hard little bud, he pinched it lightly eliciting a delighted moan. Without breaking his punishing rhythm he leaned his head down to her other breast laving every inch of it before sucking the nipple into his mouth. One set of nails dug into the base of his skull whilst the others cut into his shoulder.

It wasn't how he imagined, he had always thought he would take her slowly, worship his way up her body inch by inch. Klaus had intended to make her beg, to make her whither beneath me in need, to pay her in kind for all the times she had left him wanting and then ruin her for all other men.

As he continued to rutting her his mouth moved from breast to breast while his fingers sought out the hard nub of sensitive nerves. The heel of his hand pushed into Caroline's stomach as he expertly manipulated her clit and almost immediately he felt her tighten even more - her walls were quivering. Suddenly she jerked upwards and then her entire body stiffened as she came sighing his name.

Her walls griped him almost painfully tight while he pumped slowly within her as she rode out her orgasm. She continued to breathe out his name like a benediction. He didn't think there was anything more beautiful than Caroline in that moment until her eyes darkened further and her fangs extended in her open mouth. He stared at her mesmerized for a few moments before he turned and bared his neck for her. "

"Have at it love," he whispered.

Caroline blinked and then she buried her fangs in his welcoming neck sucking his willing blood into her mouth. He had never felt anything so euphoric as her drinking in his essence whilst he pumped within her. It was overwhelming, his balls contracted and he shot his seed deep inside her releasing a primal roar. His fangs elongated, he was overcome with the desire to taste her - take her into his veins. Klaus pierced the skin of her neck just as she had his and drank just as greedily.

He had tasted her before, but not like this. Drinking the sweet Ambrosia of her blood was as rapturous as the knowledge that she now  _his_.


	37. Chapter 37

There was a moment before she reached that dreadful state of fully conscious when she was able to bask in the delight at having him near. That fleeting moment when she was able to forget just who he was and what he had done, who she  _was_. It was perhaps the happiest she had ever been, the most content, a shining moment of pure unadulterated joy.

And then she awoke.

It wasn't so much that anything was different, but her return to consciousness unleashed the inevitable self-recriminations.

Last night and well into the early hours of the morning - from Klaus' wreck of a room, down the hall, and into her own where they eventually came to rest – Caroline had not exactly forgotten, but rather dispatched to the farthest reaches of her mind all the reasons she shouldn't be with Klaus. Her reservations were basically consigned to the very place created for the feelings she never wanted to admit to having.

Until last night when her guilty conscious went on vacation and she gave in to her innermost desires – multiple times – she had successfully resided in a state of denial. Now, in the harsh light of day, pitilessly comfortable in the arms of the mass murder, she no longer had that option.

Nothing changed, even though everything did.

All her life she had hidden her insecurities behind witty remarks and bright smiles, always worried that she was destined to live a life unloved. She had reason to fear, regularly neglected by her family and friends, a supporting character in the dramatization of the life and times of Elena Gilbert.

Miss Mystic Falls she may have been, but in fairy tales she was the handmaiden at best and not even first in line for that title. No, even when it came to her friendships she had been holding a firm second place - it felt as though it had always been Elena, it seemed as though it always would be.

When she had first turned, collateral damage in the Katherine/Salvatore/Klaus drama, the world seemed to be against her. Perhaps it was just her, but then again it seemed so very different when Elena turned. There was no burning in sunlight whilst Bonnie debated whether or not she should assist the monster. No threats to stake Elena at the slightest hint of weakness.

Caroline hadn't minded, hadn't really thought about it. Perhaps that was because there had come a point before Elena turned when Caroline had determined that she could not spend her eternity wallowing. Caroline Forbes had buried her poisonous envy and found within herself strength she didn't know she possessed. Elena was her friend, not her competition.

She became the person she wished to be - the very being Klaus would later call strong, ageless, fearless. She liked this Caroline, but there were still the odd occasions when that former Caroline surfaced. When her father had chosen death rather than continuing as a creature like herself or when nearly every person of her acquaintance continued to choose everyone and everything over her. However different new and improved vampire Caroline was, she remained the girl who was never anyone's first choice and it smarted.

Then there came the dress in the box from the Big Bad who somehow saw  _her_. Call it a twisted Cinderella fetish, and she had, but the fact that the Prince of Darkness had singled her out was unbelievably satisfying. To Klaus Elena was a means to an end, but Caroline was more beautiful than a princess, strong, full of light. Little Miss desperate for attention, overachieving, shallow as a kiddy pool Caroline Forbes was the object of affection of the thousand year old Original Hybrid.

It was terrifying, but oh so empowering and beguiling.

Klaus had always seemed to think that  _they_  were inevitable, however much she raged against him, however often she hurled hateful words his way he was uncompromising in his pursuit of her. His conviction was as frightening as it was puzzling. Klaus had lived a thousand years, what did he see in her?

What didn't she see in herself?

Klaus was the very opposite of everything she had ever thought she wanted. As time progressed and she did not, she began to wonder if she had chosen the easy road, if she had inadvertently settled. Klaus was not what she envisioned she wanted, but was it possible he was exactly what she needed? She had begun to wonder long before Tyler made his choice whether Klaus might not be her unconventional knight in shining armor. Caroline had, without ever realising it, come to trust him. She relied upon him in a manner which she did not with anyone else. It wasn't merely because she knew he loved her, it was because regardless of how he treated others - even those she loved - he was for her what she most needed. His only choice - first and last.

He had never left her in any doubt as to how he felt, and the night before she had admitted to herself and him how she really felt - undoubtedly damning herself for all time. There was no denying it happened, no denying him, not even if she wanted to.

And she didn't want to.

She had fucked him knowing the consequences, knowing that with every caress, every thrust, every searing touch of his lips Klaus aimed to claim her - body and soul. There was no going back, not for as long as the sun burned in the sky, not ever. Caroline accepted that, accepted him in all his possessive glory, but she felt guilty all the same. Well, not so much in the moment, but in the breaking of a new dawn.

Caroline didn't regret it, she was rather more inclined to repeat it, which made her feel all the more guilty. What they had indulged in the night before and into the early hours was not what she had imagined making love to be, it was violent; it was uninhibitedly wanton - debauched.

Had she viewed their joining as a third party she might have drawn parallels to rutting animals, but as a participant she viewed it differently. Klaus loved her to the point of obsession she knew, and he had worshiped her body accordingly - it was lascivious but it was also spiritual. There was something between them, something that made the act however primal rather more transcendent in nature. There were no words to adequately explain how she felt.

It was quite easily the most intense and all-consuming sex she had ever indulged in. Whatever else Klaus was he was undeniably the best lover she had ever had, and the contented smile dominating his face as he slept beneath her was heartrendingly endearing.

And even as her stomach began to churn as she recalled just why she shouldn't feel quite so cosy sharing her bed with Klaus, she couldn't find it within her to move. She was a horrible person, the acceptance of Klaus and all that that entailed was surely treason – punishable by death. Yet even whilst she stewed in her own guilt, she couldn't help but feel content in the knowledge that this was the first of many times to come when she would awaken in his arms.

His arms felt like home. Caroline had never felt like that before, whether it was some freaky soul mate thing she didn't know, but she found it almost impossible to find the will to leave his embrace. Her brain told her all the reasons, all the incidents, all the deaths and heartbreak which should necessitate her speedy departure, but she held fast. Despite everything she wanted him, in spite of everything she wanted to be with him. No matter what it cost her, no matter if all her friends deserted her as she expected they would.

"I thought you would have run by now," his voice interrupted her untidy thoughts.

"As though you'd let me," she uttered, smiling into his chest.

"I might have indulged you for a time," he said though the tightening of his arms indicated otherwise.

"Perhaps I find the alternative a more daunting prospect," she replied lifting her head to gaze at him through her lashes.

"The condemnation of your so-called friends?" he asked dripping smugness, though something told her he was unsettled, that the prospect of her remaining with him in order to avoid confronting her friends was deflating.

"I don't regret it, you know," she told him, her eyes fixed upon his lips, her thoughts turning to what he could do with those raspberry delights. His lips turned further upwards twisting into a genuine smile and she felt suddenly warmer as a result. She wanted nothing more than to remain in bed with him forever, but that nagging guilt turning her stomach demanded that she rise and face the consequences of her actions.

He nuzzled into her hair, one set of fingers gliding over her hip whilst the others kneaded the flesh of her arse. His touch was like electric shock therapy dissolving all those uncomfortable morning after concerns from her conscious thoughts. She felt as though her entire being was burning, a glorious molten fire spreading from his fingers directly to her core. With a will of its own her body dragged itself up his until she was comfortably straddling his hips, he rose up to meet her locking her legs behind his back and in one swift move they were once again joined.

As they moved together their gazes fixed and Caroline lost herself in his blue-green eyes. There was between them a connection which seemed to only be getting stronger and as she approached another climax Caroline found it difficult to determine where she ended and he began. It might have been disconcerting had it not been utterly intoxicating. As though by some unspoken agreement they both broke eye contact and nestled into the others neck, two set of fangs pierced skin in tandem. Like the night before she was in unparalleled ecstasy, and felt as though she was bonded to him. More than felt it, she saw the silver chains that tied them together, but in addition she saw images. Flashes of places she had never been to, people she did not know.

They were memories, but not her own.

At some point she had closed her eyes, she wasn't sure just when that was - only aware that she had when she withdrew her fangs from his neck and opened them once again. She was momentarily disoriented, transitioning from Klaus' memories of far flung places in time to the present.

Caroline wondered if this was a by-product of the soul mate palaver or was this yet another of Connie's improvements. She wanted to ask him if he had viewed her memories as she did his, but she wasn't certain it would be wise to ask. Klaus wasn't overly inclined to share.

Whilst she was debating whether or not to ask him if he had experienced it to someone banged on her door.

"Caroline Forbes put some clothes on and get your arse out here!" Bonnie's voice was raised and biting.

Caroline fought the urge to crawl under the bed and hide. The night before she had chosen Klaus well aware that there would be consequences. But knowing there were consequences and actually facing them were two different things – she wasn't feeling inclined to face them just yet.

"I swear to god Caroline, if you aren't out here in the next thirty seconds…" it appeared Bonnie was of a differing opinion. For his part, Klaus didn't appear at all bothered in fact he looked downright amused.

_Bastard._

With lethargy bordering on sloth she separated herself from the Original smirking Hybrid and flashed to her walk-in wardrobe to throw on the first outfit her hands found. She chose to walk to the door at human speed attempting to put off the dreaded confrontation a little longer. From the bed behind her she swore she heard a choked chuckle and she had half a mind to take the door from its hinges and throw it at him. On the other side of the door was Bonnie Bennett, she had every right to be anxious – the woman was scary before she came into her witchy powers.

Like ripping off a Band-Aid she tore open the door in one swift movement and came face to face with her icy-faced bestie. Bonnie's eyes did a once over before her lips formed a hard line and she pushed passed Caroline into the room.

"Out," the witch ordered Klaus without a glance in his direction. To Caroline's surprise Klaus immediately rose from the bed and strode out the door butt-naked – she couldn't help but monitor his progress.

_What a view._

"Wipe that self-satisfied smile off your face Missy," Bonnie said, arms crossed and eyes narrowed.

Caroline made a concerted effort to school her features into a neutral mask, chasing all thoughts of a naked Klaus away to concentrate on Bonnie. She took a deep breath and waited for the ax to fall.

" _Klaus_?" Bonnie managed to toss an awful lot of indignation into the utterance of his name.

"Yes," she replied, bracing herself. Caroline was only too aware that Bonnie hated Klaus, and with good reason.

"It  _had_ to be  _Klaus_?"

Caroline wondered if Bonnie had crossed her arms to stop herself from throwing things at her. The stomach churning guilt was back, only more like an iron fist contracting. She wasn't ready to lose her best friend, not so soon after recovering her, but there was nothing she could do. She had made her choice. "Yes," her voice was weaker.

Bonnie didn't reply, she just continued to look at Caroline as though she was some strange creature had never seen her before. The silence stretched, rather like a hangman's noose which was appropriate because Caroline felt as though she was suspended.

"We've all done terrible things," she said softly, ever hopeful that unlike Tyler Bonnie might love her more.

"Some more than others," Bonnie snapped back, but then she paused. Her whole demeanor changed, she suddenly seemed weak. "None more than me," she said with a sigh.

"Did you sleep with Kol?" Caroline blurted.

Bonnie looked shocked and then burst into laughter, her entire body shaking with it. "No," she finally managed to get out out, her laughter dying a moment later. "I destroyed the Other Side Care, I killed..." and then he body was shaking for a different reason, tears flowing down her face.

Caroline took the witch into her arms and to her immense relief Bonnie hugged her back. She wanted to say it wasn't her fault, but as she had agreed to help Silas who would be arriving at the mansion within the hour she didn't want Bonnie to give too much thought to whose fault it actually was. "I'm sorry about your Grams," she said instead and felt like the worst friend ever.

"I don't like Klaus," Bonnie said a moment later. "If killing him wouldn't result in your death I'd be first in line to finish him off, he doesn't deserve you, he deserves to be miserable," Bonnie paused taking a deep breath. "That said, if he makes you happy I'll support you for however long this insanity lasts," which Bonnie clearly hoped was no of a long duration.

Caroline felt a large smile dominating her face. "I love you too," she said as she pulled Bonnie back into a crushing hug. "We'll get through this," she told her, ever the optimist.

"You, me and Klaus?" Bonnie's tone wasn't overly friendly, but there was the beginnings of a small smile on her face.

"You forgot Kol," Caroline teased.

"No I didn't," Bonnie frowned and stepped back.

"I'm sorry to interrupt Miss Forbes, but you have a visitor," Elijah advised entering her bedroom.

"Visitor?" Klaus asked following his brother into the room. Caroline noted that he was disappointingly fully clothed.

"No one important," Caroline shot Elijah a warning look. "I'll just go and..."

" _Who_  is it Caroline?" Klaus tone had turned caustic.

"It may, or may not be..." she began moving closer to the room's exit. "Silas," she ended, saying his name so softly that she rather doubted even Klaus heard it.

"What is  _Silas_  doing  _here_?" Klaus thundered, proving that she had grossly underestimated Hybrid hearing.

"Well, here's the thing," deep breath, "I sort of promised him I'd help him kill Qetsiyah." As no one gasped or threw her across the room she figured she may as continue. "And we need your help."

* * *

Silas wasn't convinced going to the Originals was the best idea, but Caroline had insisted and for some strange reason he couldn't deny her. Of course he rather wished he could now that he was ensconced in an ornate arm chair in one of the mansion's many day rooms with eight sets of decidedly unfriendly eyes upon him. He was sorely tempted to tear their eyes from their sockets, but there was still the possibility they would assist him in spite of their obvious hostility.

"So if we are all about done with the evil eye stareathon," Caroline attempted to ease the tension.

It may not lowered the tension, but her attempt at least turned half of those eyes away from him. Caroline appeared to find the burning accusing eyes just as appealing as he did if her shuffling feet and annoyed huff were any indication.

"Let me get this straight," Damon in all his pompous glory spoke. "You,  _Blondie_  want  _us_ ," with a sweeping arm around the room, "to help  _him_ _,_ " and a pointed glare in Silas' direction, "to kill the only individual who could take  _him_  down?"

"That's about right," Caroline responded with a smile so fake Barbie would be jealous.

"Are you making a special effort to be stupid today?" Damon sneered and earned himself a warning growl from the Original Hybrid.

"My sentiments exactly," Silas directed at Klaus with a complementary smirk. He rose from his chair to take position by Caroline, who had up till then, been occupying something of a no-man's land between his chair and the others. "Qetsiyah is Drusilla scale crazy," he said and noted that all of the males were giving him blank looks. "So, I'm the only male you could force to watch Buffy?" he questioned his blonde.

"Seriously? I didn't  _force_  you, and if I recall you were the one who insisted on Buffy marathon Thursdays because you had, and I quote," air quotations "to find out if Spuffy would conquer Bangel," she babbled out in one impressive breath.

"I still maintain that Spike was her epic love," he baited her, forgetting for a moment that they had an audience.

"How many times do we have to go through this? Just because he got his own spin-off and writer's seem to be of the shared opinion that the main character just cannot be single for any length of time doesn't change the fact that Buffy and Angel are soul mates. He was and always will be her epic love, and vice versa," she fell for it hook, line, and sinker.

"Caroline," Bonnie's voice drew him back, reminded Silas of just where they were and why.

Caroline looked sheepish. "Right, so...uh, Silas is on our side and Qetsiyah is nuts," she muttered.

"And we should believe that he's on our side why? Because  _you_  said so?" Damon asked with a disbelieving look.

Silas held back his smile, Damon had hit the nail on the head. Perhaps the elder Salvatore wouldn't jump on his band wagon on Caroline's say so, but he was in a minority of one. Klaus would take her word for it because to do otherwise would indicate that he didn't trust her, and trust was important to Caroline. So Klaus would do as she asked and help him because to do anything else might just bring their burgeoning love story to an end. Rebekah, Kol and Elijah would follow their brother, ' _always and forever_ ' and all that crap. Katherine it appeared was firmly on team Elijah. Bonnie and Stefan were, whether Caroline realized it or not, firmly in her corner and neither overly fond of Qetsiyah in any case. No, they would all agree, and because they had Damon would fall into line as well.

"How do we find Qetsiyah," Stefan asked.

"We don't need to find her, she'll find us," Silas replied, somewhat amused that it was his doppelganger that was the first to declare his allegiance. "I am after all the love of her life," he said with a grimace.

"Then how come she's so intent on destroying you?" Damon asked.

"I am the love of  _her_  life, she isn't the love of  _mine_ ," as though it wasn't obvious.

"What do you suggest?" Klaus' voice as deadly as his expression.

"Keep doing what you're doing, and wait for her to strike." There wasn't a lot else they could do. Qetsiyah wouldn't come out of hiding until she was good and ready, and she was powerful enough to stay hidden no matter what they did. He turned his eyes back to Caroline. "So when were you going to tell me you slept with Klaus?" he questioned, eyes alight with amusement as she looked about ready to die of embarrassment.


	38. Chapter 38

If there was ever an award for the Most Annoying Person on the Planet Bonnie rather thought they were forced to retire it on account of Kol's centuries-long wining spree. She had thought - naively it turned out - that once he was returned to the living his days of haunting her every step would end. Day in and day out Kol was  _there,_  lingering like a foul odour permeated into an old couch. How, she wondered, does someone live a thousand years and have nothing to occupy their time except to bother her?

Her only reprieve was when she was with Caroline, but as her best friend was often in the company of Klaus, Silas, or both – two individuals she enjoyed less than Kol - she rarely had one. Each and every day she opened her eyes to find his face in close proximity, turned out the hyper git didn't require much in the way of sleep and no matter how many times she moved rooms or which spells she employed he always found her before morning came. Still, every night when she went to bed she sent a silent prayer that the next morning would start differently.

"Good morning Bon-Bon, what are our plans on this  _delectable_  day?" he asked the moment her eyes fluttered open.

"God I hate you," she muttered rolling away to the other side of the bed and burying her face the pillow.

"You wound me precious," his gleeful voice was like an invading army, ruining any hope of peace.

She groaned as her body was shifted when he jumped onto the bed in the space she had just vacated. "Why can't you just leave me alone?"

"Because you'd miss me, darling," he cooed in her ear.

"Let's test that theory," she replied.

"Let's not, and say we did," he didn't understand how rejection was supposed to work.

"What do you want?" she turned herself to face him and found herself uncomfortably close. He looked much too good for so early in the morning.

"What are you  _offering_?" he was practically leering.

"There is something seriously wrong with you," Bonnie said as she sat up to increase the space between them.

"It must be soooo  _tiring_ ," he said sprawled on her bed, hands behind his head.

She knew she shouldn't ask, knew if would only encourage him, knew that was the last thing she should do, even so, "What must be tiring?"

"Denying your innermost desires," he purred.

Only a vampire could have gotten off the bed quicker than she did, of course a vampire wouldn't have ended up on their arse on the floor – something that happened way too often in his presence for her liking. His gloating face appeared above her, "Want me to kiss it better?"

"Yes Kol, kiss my arse," she responded drily.

"I thought you'd never ask," he purred and jumped off the bed to land beside her.

Before he could help her up, and attempt God knows what after, Bonnie was on her feet and retreating to the fortress of her bathroom in order to regroup. What was it that made him so difficult to deal with? Why was every encounter with him a battle? Why did she continuously take the bait?

When she finally got herself together and exited the bathroom she expected him to be waiting for her, like he had been  _every_  other day since their arrival, but she found herself in an empty room. There was a brief moment, fleeting, hardly worth the effort of remembering really, in which she was disappointed by his absence.

His appearance at the room's threshold a few seconds later alleviated it and a mere second after he opened his mouth she resolved that it really should be forgotten. It  _never_  happened.

"So fire of my loins as we are running low on the ingredients you enjoy wasting on spells to locate Qetsiyah, why don't you and I run amuck in NOLA today - replenish supplies and what not?" his smile was so wide he should have had a wide load sign affixed to his back.

"Why not just send someone?" Bonnie wasn't averse to an outing per se, but a suggestion of Kol's needed to be carefully considered. There was always an ulterior motive, besides if she acquiesced too quickly he might convince himself she enjoyed spending time with him. Then he'd be even more unbearable.

"You're not suggesting that we use Klaus' slave labor are you pet?" he sounded genuinely shocked, his smile wiped from his face though his eyes were shining and the corners of his lips looked desperate to turn up into his signature smirk. "What would 'She of the Chore Rotation Chart' think?" and then he had the gall to tutt at her.

"Like  _you_  care," she huffed and exited her bedroom.

"And my delectable chocolate truffle how do you think our witchy brothers and sisters would fare against those nasty Hybrid Neanderthals?" he followed her up the hall.

"So now you care about Hybrids and other witches?" she stopped hand on hip, dripping incredulity.

"Of course not, but when you ask the carbonated blonde sex kitten to convince my lest handsome brother that she routinely shags - despite infinitely better options," he spread his arms wide and indicated his person, as though there was any doubt to whom he referred, "to grant his exalted blessing, you can feel free to imply that I do," his smirk finally broke back through.

"I'm still not understanding why we need to go in the first place," as though she believed he might actually believe the Hybrids weren't capable and she didn't actually want to go. A little time off the property was very attractive, especially as she hadn't ever been to New Orleans before and Klaus and Silas seemed on a mission to make everyone uncomfortable.

"I'm bored," he whined.

"And going on a supply run will be entertaining how?" she tried very hard to sound disinterested.

"Not so much the supply run as what we get up to in between – take in the sights, raise a little hell, Jello wrestling," he smiled brightly.

Bonnie bit her lip to stop herself from smiling back. Kol might be the bane of her existence, but she was fairly sure he would be a fun tour guide or at the very least an interesting one. Of course Jello wrestling was not an option, well  _her_  Jello wrestling was not an option, if Kol should feel inclined to strip down to his underwear and wrestle someone tall dark and handsome she wouldn't be objecting.

"Come on Bonnie, I promise it will be fun," he did his best puppy dog eyes and she found herself nodding in acquiesce. Bonnie was shortly crushed by his hug, as his breath expelled warming her neck she felt a strange tingling sensation that prompted her to disengage herself from his embrace in a hurry.

"No  _touching_ ," she would have liked to have sounded less breathless and flustered more biting and indifferent, but it wasn't like it meant  _anything_. Sure Kol was good looking, and she was warm blooded and sex deprived, but he was still the most annoying person she had ever met.

Plus which, she was sort-of kind-of maybe with Jeremy and she had no intention of doing a Caroline and lowering her standards so far as to sleep with an Original – or former Original as the case may be.

Sometimes she wondered if she was the only one among her circle of friends that  _had_  standards, after all Stefan, Matt, and Damon – if she was feeling so kind as to include him in that number – had slept with Rebekah. She was also fairly certain that if Elena hadn't been playing musical beds with the Salvatores the brunette might have taken Elijah for a test run.

And then there was Caroline who had sunk to an all-time low and was in an actual  _relationship_  with the worst of the worst, and to top it off she was now apparently best buds with the oldest terror to walk the earth. The girl was certifiable, but she was still Bonnie's best friend. A best friend that always stood beside her, that would do anything for her, forgive her for what should have been unforgivable. Caroline was her person.

Bonnie in turn was determined to always be there for Caroline, but she wasn't on board with the whole Klaroline affair (Silas' portmanteau). Bonnie was ever hopeful that her best friend would come to her senses and realize that she was certifiably crazy for falling for the evil one. Of course she wasn't vocal about her disapproval…too often. She had no intention of alienating Caroline and leaving the blonde for Klaus to do what he will, but her acting skills were not so refined to disguise her feelings.

As though her reproachful thoughts brought Caroline forth, Bonnie saw her best friend step out a room down the hall and with a big smile the blonde walked towards her.

"Hey Care, I was just looking for you," she said with a responding smile.

"What's up?" everything about Caroline advertised her happiness. Bonnie almost felt guilty for hoping Klaroline would quickly be consigned to the pages of history.

"We're running low on supplies," she eased her way into it.

"Oh, well, I think Pavan and Rex are going on a run this morning I'm sure they wouldn't mind picking up anything you want," a touch of unease had entered Caroline's voice and Bonnie knew why. Caroline hadn't been overly fond of the Hybrid's slave-like status prior to her ill-fated NOLA excursion, but she was less so now. After the  _return_  the Hybrids seemed to take any request from the blonde as though it was an order from their Sire. Klaus wasn't bothered, but it made Caroline uncomfortable. Hence the Chore Rotation Chart.

"Witches might not be overly inclined to meet a shopping list presented by Hybrids Care," she said softly.

Caroline sighed. "You want me to ask Klaus if you can go?"

"And Kol," she advised.

"Kol wants to go on a supply run?" Caroline didn't sound convinced.

"He just wants to get out," Bonnie told her.

"Fine," though the blonde didn't sound pleased. "Come on then," she motioned for Bonnie to follow and strode through the house as though homing in on a signal only she could detect. Soon enough they were soon in Klaus' presence.

"Caroline love, how may I be of  _assistance_?"

Bonnie didn't miss the double meaning, she did swallow back a groan and a touch of bile if she wasn't mistaken.

"Bonnie and Kol need to go get more supplies for their spells," Caroline didn't beat around the bush.

Klaus' gaze left Caroline's for a moment and meet Bonnie's. "No," he said and then turned as though that was the end of the matter.

"Pavan and Rex are going out, so they could take them wherever they need to go," Caroline continued as though he hadn't spoken, but a touch of irritation colored her voice.

" _Caroline_ ," Klaus practically growled her name.

"You can't lock everyone up," Caroline snapped back and Bonnie was left in no doubt that the two were no longer discussing their planned supply run, but rather revisiting an argument.

It surprised Bonnie that even in the depths of an argument Caroline still seemed to glow with inner happiness and Klaus, whist most assuredly tossing dark looks as though afraid they would soon go out of fashion, seemed to emanate a calmness incongruent with all she knew of him. It was about this time that Bonnie realized Kol had followed them into the room. He looked positively thrilled, she wondered if he never believed his brother might be amendable. If this was the kind of entertainment he had in mind. She wouldn't put it past him.

"Need I remind you sweetheart of what happened the last time  _someone_  left this house without my permission?" the words rumbled out as though accompanying an earthquake.

"I promised not to leave  _again_ ," Caroline voice sounded small, but petulant.

"I'll go with them," Silas announced upon sauntering into the room.

Caroline smiled brightly at the new arrival as though he was the answer to all their problems, Bonnie again reflected upon the madness that had taken over her friend.

"Of course you will," Klaus bit out the words, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Is it Christmas?" Kol whispered in her ear. Bonnie was only too aware of the fact that Kol was enjoying himself, he seemed to thrive in chaos.

"Bonnie and Kol will be perfectly safe in  _my_  company, after all should we run into the toxic bitch she'll be entirely too focused on hacking me into little pieces to bother with  _them_ ," Silas smiled brightly as though he looked forward to his dismemberment.

Klaus seemed to find it appealing as well. "You've convinced me love, they can go," he said with an evil grin.

"No one is going to get  _hacked_ ," Caroline sounded decidedly annoyed. "If Qetsiyah does show up Silas, you are  _not_  to take her on on your own, you  _will_  wait for help which I am quite  _certain_  will be dispatched  _immediately_ ," she said with a pointed look at Klaus.

"Of course my love," Klaus' grin wasn't exactly convincing.

"And Bonnie," Caroline said turning her full attention to her, complete with a wagging finger. "At the  _first_  sign of trouble you will ditch them and run as fast as you can."

She couldn't help but smile. "Okay Care."

"Promise me," the blonde demanded.

"I promise," she said.

Caroline smiled then headed to the door. "Oh, and Silas," she turned back and shot the man a look full of meaning, "you do not have my permission." Bonnie had no idea what that meant but Silas nodded, somewhat begrudgingly.

"Now that that's settled, get out,"Klaus growled at them.

"And for a moment there you were  _almost_  my favorite brother," Kol cheerfully announced before flouncing out the door. "Hey Silas buddy don't look so glum, Bekah told me Klaus has the cure," Kol shot a now simmering Klaus an evil smirk. "Come hither sugar plum, Jello wrestling awaits us!" he yelled whilst making a hasty retreat.

Bonnie swallowed back her groan and followed Kol out.

* * *

Rebekah hadn't exactly been keen on hanging out at the mansion. Aside from her brothers the only other residents she didn't routinely feel like ripping the hearts out of were Stefan and Caroline. The latter of the two's time was occupied predominately by her brother, but also by Silas, Bonnie, Stefan, and oddly enough Katherine. There wasn't much opportunity for Rebekah to spend time with the other blonde Stefan seemingly intent on avoiding his double wasn't often within the mansion's walls, but when he was he tended to spend his time with Caroline. She would have liked to join them, to forge closer bonds with the two, but it always seemed as though they were in the middle of some private moment and she just couldn't find it within herself to interrupt. She knew it was pathetic, that she a thousand year old Original vampire had all the social skills of a agoraphobic lobster, but she couldn't help it.

Rather like she couldn't help eavesdropping on Nik's conversation with Silas. She'd arrived just in time to hear Caroline, whom she had been looking for leaving, but the moment Kol opened his big fat mouth the other blonde was very much forgotten. Rebekah had ducked into the adjoining room as Kol had bounded out into the hall, suddenly anxious that they might realize she was listening. At first she had thought that Silas left with Kol and Bonnie, but after a minute or two of silence Silas spoke.

"When Caroline is safe you are going to give me that cure," his voice was very low and had she not been in the next room she would not have heard him.

"Don't worry mate, the second you kill the witch I'll happily toss it down your throat," Nik's voice was equally low, and menacing.

"So desperate to eliminate the competition?" Silas sounded amused, almost on the verge of laughter.

"You are  _not_  competition," Nik obviously seething. "She is  _mine_."

"And provided I get the cure, she always will be," Silas responded and then she heard him leave. As a loud crashing noise began in the room Nik now occupied alone Rebekah made her escape unnoticed.

Rebekah headed to the front door, but she'd have liked to go into the room Nik was destroying and ask him if he was sincere when he told Silas he would give him the cure. She'd have liked to have done that, but she didn't see the point. Nik had never made any secret of his disdain for her dreams of a human existence, much like Elijah in that regard. Neither could ever comprehend the appeal, neither had seriously considered taking the cure and they never would. Kol had been killed before they obtained the cure that first time so she had been spared his ridicule.

Nik would give the cure to Silas she was sure of it. He saw Silas as a threat, to Nik's cherished title of the most powerful creature on earth and to his relationship with Caroline. Rebekah knew her brother, she knew that he wouldn't have spared her a single thought, knew that he would think only of how it would benefit him. He was now as he always was, a selfish bastard.

Still a lot had changed since that first cure hunt, and a lot had remained the same. She wasn't sure now if she would take it, she wasn't certain if it would make her happy, if she ever could be. She wondered how Kol felt now that he was human - a warlock but human. She wondered if he rejoiced at reconnecting with nature, feeling the life force of everything around him. Rebekah missed that, she had thought that perhaps if she had that back she might just be able to function fully again. Might just be able to redeem herself and be worthy of being loved, then again it might not.

Regardless, there was not one cure, but two and if Nik was going to give the one he held to Silas then Marcel's was still up for grabs. When the time came she might not take it, but she wanted the option. Sure Katherine was dying, but it was a slow process natural aging. It was also a process Rebekah could extend, she was born a witch and the cure would return her to that state.

As she exited the door and began the short journey to her car which was parked out front one of the Hybrid patrols was arriving. "Miss Rebekah!" one of them, she thought his name was Darrel or maybe Darren, yelled out to her. She stopped and waited for him with an upturned brow and a down-turned mouth.

"We may have found that woman you were looking for," he announced with a large smile, clearly very much pleased with himself.

For the last few days she had had the Hybrid patrols on the look out for Camille in addition to Marcel and Qetsiyah, something told her that the back stabbing arse would stick close to the blonde. And even if he didn't, she still wasn't quite over the poisoning incident and was eager to spend some quality time with the bartender from hell. "Show me," she demanded and headed to their SUV.

"Show us," Nik announced his rather unwelcome arrival. Talk about crappy timing.

"I'm quite capable, you don't need to come," she sneered.

"I never said you weren't little sister, but I  _am_  coming," he was clearly still in a bad mood.

" _Fine_ ," she hissed and got into the back seat, leaving the front passenger for his Majesty. She couldn't stop the selfish bastard from coming, but that blonde bitch was hers.


	39. Chapter 39

It had come on slowly, building over the last few days, a sense of foreboding that was now so dense it had taste and texture. Silas had felt it once before, a long time past. That time he had ignored it and Amara had paid the price. It took him two thousand years of torment, but he had learnt.

He volunteered to go with Bonnie and Kol not because doing so made Caroline happy and annoyed the Hybrid - that was a bonus. No, he had left because he was certain that this was the day Qetsiyah would make her move and he didn't want Caroline to be anywhere near when the bitch struck.

His sweet little ray of sunshine's self-preservation instincts weren't quite strong enough by his reckoning so he didn't think she would fare well in an encounter with the bitter hag. Whatever changes Connie had wrought they were unlikely to protect her in such a battle and as much as he would like to believe that if it were a choice between saving Caroline and extracting his revenge he would chose her, he wasn't certain.

With that in mind, it was best to remove himself and thereby remove her from his dangerous proximity. Perhaps he should feel bad for endangering her friend as he was, but he couldn't find it within himself to care. Mayhap if the Bennett Witch perished with his foe whist he survived to bear witness to Caroline's grief it might stir within him a touch of regret – unlikely, but stranger things had happened. He had, after all, found so close to the end of his torment a reason to continue.

Caroline Forbes had with her insistence on his survival made him consider just what such a thing could mean. Upon reflection he had decided that it was not necessary to follow so swiftly in Qetsiyah's wake. He wasn't about to continue in perpetuity, such misery was not a victory especially as the only one who he could envision spending such an existence with belonged to another. No, he wouldn't live forever nor even as long as Caroline demanded. Silas would kill Qetsiyah and then he would take the cure.

But after he would not follow the hag to oblivion, he would live, he would  _endure_  and when he died many years from now his victory would be assured. He had thought dying and denying Qetsiyah an eternity at his side was the best he could hope for, the only revenge he could extract now that Amara was lost forever, but he was wrong.

Caroline's perseverance made him realize that there was a greater victory to be had, he could live, he could procreate, and he could die surrounded by a family that Qetsiyah would never have. Silas might never love whomever he chose to serve as the mother to his children - she might never truly love him – but perhaps that would make his revenge that much sweeter. To give to another, who did not truly matter, all that Qetsiyah had desired – all that she had denied Amara.

Silas told his companions nothing of the coming threat as he went with them from place to place, observing them and everything around him with cool calculation whilst he waited for her to make her move. The sun was at its peak when the attack began, the witch that Bonnie and Kol were trading with advised that what they required was in the back and withdrew mere seconds before a headless Hybrid was launched through the window landing at their feet.

"You just can't get good help these days," Kol commented whilst wiping out his phone and taping furiously.

Through the freshly broken window Silas watched as their, or perhaps more accurately Bonnie's, remaining Hybrid protector was quickly dispatched. Whatever the attackers were they were supernatural, lethal, and armed with swords alarmingly similar in design to those of Caroline's personal bodyguards. There were only three of the creatures - for lack of a better word - still standing a fourth lay on the ground in a similar state to the Hybrid at their feet. That the fallen fourth was proof the creatures could be killed was comforting. That three of them remained standing, it appeared removing the head was the only way to kill them, and Qetsiyah was nowhere in sight, was decidedly not.

Silas wasn't overly keen on waiting for them to come to them, he had no doubt that their weapons would be capable of incapacitating him and in such a state he would be helpless against the hag whom he was sure was watching. The two Witches survival was suddenly of more import now that their fates appeared to be woven together.

"Any ideas?" he asked them as the three converged on them.

"I favour running," Kol offered.

"We are in a magic shop, surely there's something…" Bonnie uttered as her eyes scanned the materials that surrounded them. There was no doubt that the shop held an arsenal, the problem was that he didn't think they had nearly enough time to make use of it.

"Run," he ordered almost choking on the word.

Kol grabbed Bonnie by the arm and dragged her out the back, with a glance behind at the quickly approaching threat Silas followed. The three that followed either did not possess vampire-like speed or chose not to use it. Were it the former they might stand a chance, the latter and they were being herded. Considering the ease with which the creatures dealt with the Hybrids the latter was the more likely.

"They're on their way," Kol advised when Silas caught his eye.

Perhaps that is what they were waiting for, he mused. It made sense for why else would they hold off on attacking? Of course, if it was true - that they were awaiting the rest of the Originals and company - then it was entirely possible that he was not the target. Were that so, it was in his best interests to separate from his witch companions which is precisely what he did. When they reached the end of the pathway Silas directed Kol and Bonnie to the left. "We need to split up," he told them before going right himself.

Two blocks later he was all by himself, well if you didn't include the creepy feeling of being watched. He might have felt relieved that the creatures chose to follow the witches but the sense of foreboding had not lessened. Where was she hiding, he wondered before a terrible thought crossed his mind.

* * *

They had arrived at the location Camille was  _spotted_  to find it not just disappointingly vacant, but lacking any evidence that their target was ever there. If it had smelled like a trap previously, there was now a giant neon sign advertising the fact. Yet, there was not any indication of danger, nary a peep.

It was suspiciously quiet and would have been completely so had Rebekah been capable of containing herself. "Were the bloody hell is  _she_?" she shrieked as though personally offended that Camille was not there welcoming them to her own execution.

Ordinarily he would have been amused by her petulant behavior, but since he had untangled himself from Caroline's embrace in the early hours his day had gone downhill. As the day progressed, one agitation after the next, his mood had steadily darkened to the point where he now needed to feel someone's heart beating its last in his fingers – he wasn't overly fussy as to whose.

"Darren, would you kindly explain why you thought Camille was here," he asked his Hybrid in a low measured voice.

"She was seen," as though that explained everything.

" _You_  saw her?"

"Not exactly," Darren radiated nervousness.

"Not  _exactly_?" Klaus lifted an eyebrow, his eyes flashing yellow.

"That is one of the witches…" the Hybrid lapsed into silence under his Sire's glaring eyes.

"Do continue," Klaus invited with a wide smile.

"Well she told us that the girl was here," Darren looked as though he wished the earth would swallow him.

" _She_?" Klaus hissed the question through his teeth.

"Delphine," his eyes begged for forgiveness that would not be granted.

Klaus nodded once and then tore out Darren's heart. He watched as the blood seeped through his fingers, a thin red line ran down his wrist to stain the cuff of his shirt. The act was not accompanied by the customary thrill at ending someone's existence; there was no rush of power, no joy. Instead Klaus felt his mood spiralling further. Before he could attempt to relieve some tension with yet more bloodshed his phone buzzed in his pocket.

Operating on autopilot he retrieved the device, read the message and then turned back towards the SUV. "Kol is in trouble," he announced as he deposited himself in the driver's seat, waiting only a few short moments for the others to climb in before putting foot to floor.

Speeding across the city to his brother's aid something in the back of his mind began a dull thudding beat of warning. He tossed his phone to Rebekah. "Have Elijah meet us and have Marcus send all available Hybrids," he ordered her.

The closer they got to their destination the louder the thudding warning became until boiling anxiety threatened to engulf him. Each yard forward caused very fibre of his being scream in protest; he almost felt physically ill. Klaus hadn't survived as long as he had by ignoring his instincts and it seemed his current path was incongruent with his sense of self-preservation - never in his entire life, human or otherwise, had they screamed so loudly.

The icy tentacles of dread were pushed down by sheer force of will, consigned with the rest of his emotions to the edge of his consciousness so that he might regain focus. Whether he marched to his death or not, he would not leave his brother – he had been down that road before and swore that it would not happen again.

He stopped the vehicle a few blocks from Kol's reported location. "Separate and advise me as soon as you locate them," he ordered his remaining two Hybrids as all four of them divvied up the weapons from the trunk. "How far is Elijah?" he asked Rebekah as his eyes scanned their surroundings.

"Not far," Rebekah replied while her own eyes were busy making a circuit.

"Here," he heard one of his Hybrids shout in the distance. Klaus immediately flashed to the man's side. He breathed a sigh of relief as his brother and Bonnie came into sight, followed by a curse as their pursuers made themselves known a moment later. The three that stalked after the witches were clearly not human in origin or if they had been they were very far removed now. They were all of a uniform six feet in height, dark hair and darker eyes a stark contrast to their alabaster skin. Their features were sharp and somehow decisively unpleasant.

Though armed Klaus didn't think it was wise to engage the creatures in battle, he grabbed Kol by the arm and turned back towards where the SUV was parked intending to strategically retreat only to find their path blocked. His eyes scanned for an escape route but came up empty - it seemed they were surrounded.

"Remove their heads," Kol quietly ordered as yet more of the creatures made their entrance. Rebekah, the Hybrids and himself formed a tight circle with Bonnie and Kol at its center.

"Silas?" Rebekah inquired.

"Long gone," Kol muttered. Klaus wasn't surprised he abandoned them, were it not for his familiar bonds he would have joined him.

There were now no less than a dozen surrounding their position, Klaus waited for them to attack.

And waited.

And waited.

In the distance he heard the screeching of brakes as his eldest brother and more Hybrids arrived. A moment later their little circle was sprinkled with dust and debris as the building behind them crumbled. From his peripheral vision Klaus watched as Elijah's suited figure cut itself from the lingering dust, his Hybrids along with Sabine and a few of her ilk in tow. As though they were waiting for the others to arrive the creatures attacked in earnest.

Two things became quickly apparent, the creatures were each of them bred for combat and their attention was focused only on the Originals and witches. Klaus had lived a thousand years and could not recall ever having such difficulty in repelling an attack. They uttered not one sound yet he swore they were communicating somehow - they were fast, strong and coordinated. Whilst Klaus and his siblings did their best to protect the witches and themselves from the creatures unending attacks his Hybrids attention moved from attempting to intercept the blows meant for others to protecting themselves as the courtyard was flooded by yet more enemies. Klaus took note as vampires joined the fray but had little time to dwell on what it meant in the grand scheme of things. Their presence was just another hindrance, something that made the Originals battle with the creatures that little bit more difficult, stretched their resources that little bit further.

When yet more of the creatures made their entrance Klaus felt a moment of pure and utter despair. Of the fourteen creatures that had first attacked them eight remained standing, but over half his Hybrids were dead and of the full coven of witches Elijah had brought with him only three were left. Klaus had never known what it was to be on the weaker side, not since he was human, but he knew it now. This was a battle they could not win, a battle  _he_  could not win.

Just when he thought it couldn't get any worse he felt a pressure on his chest and then a searing pain as though someone had poured molten tungsten directly into his heart. Despite every cell in his body screaming in agony Klaus continued to fight, he focused not on the pain but on the enemy before him, hacking them apart whilst feeling as though his very bones were being rent. He did not feel the splash of blood upon his skin, he did not feel the vibration up his arm as his sword impacted the enemies bones - there was nothing but the burning in his core and the need to destroy all that stood against him.

There was a momentary lull when he found himself without a foe and in it the pain flared hotter still. His eyes scanned the field of battle, looking for the witch that turned his body against him. Though there were at least twenty of the creatures and twice the number of vampires, the only witches present were their own. It baffled him for a moment before he focused on the pain flowing through his body like blood, in the back of his mind in that space he had relegated his feelings something was demanded his attention. When granted permission an image flashed before his eyes, golden curls and deep blue eyes - the pain was not his own.


	40. Chapter 40

Caroline was glad he wasn't with her, glad that at the end of all things she was alone; her only regret was that she hadn't the opportunity to tell him she loved him in return. What she wouldn't give to rewind to that morning when they parted and say those three words that she knew he longed to hear, she wanted to tell him that she burned for him as he did for her – she wanted him to know that she would have loved him forever.

Life wasn't fair, not to him and certainly not to her; especially not today - the day that Caroline Forbes would cease to be. For this day, this miserable excuse for the sun to rise, was the day of her death and not of the redeemable variety, no, her death would have permanence.

No coming back, no magic facilitated happy ending.

If she had had the time to fully contemplate the perpetuity of her impending demise she might have been curled up in a ball screaming at the injustice of it all, but as luck would have it she wasn't afforded the luxury. So instead she dodged, she blocked, she raged against the dying of the light, all the time knowing she was merely delaying the inevitable. The enemy was so much stronger, so much faster - for all intents and purposes omnipotent – and against him she was powerless.

He had announced his arrival by cleaving David's head from his body. It had been so quick, so quiet, so wholly unexpected that it was not the act itself that she noted but the aftermath, the warmth of the blood splattering her cheek, the thump of his head hitting the ground a moment before his body, the coppery smell of his blood, the sound of her own involuntary scream escaping her lips before her brain caught up.

Without becoming aware of the movement she had been pulled across the room with Adam standing before her, sword drawn. Perhaps it was callous of her to think it but at that moment in time before Death turned his eyes upon her she was grateful that he had killed David. She could not help but think that he, who had always set her slightly on edge, was not the person she wanted to breathe her last with.

Adam was the last line of defense, but not the only one. Hybrids came from every entrance, hemorrhaging into the room, their numbers though not vast still caused worried thoughts for their maker's safety to push their way to the forefront of her mind. Until she meet the black eyes of the being that had come to kill her. Time was frozen, everything ceased until there only resided her blue eyes delving into his black ones. Those black eyes consumed her, leached all the warmth from her body, and entombed her in ice. This black-eyed being was Death incarnate, and he had come for her.

A Hybrid stepped forward breaking their link shortly before Death ripped his heart from his body. With that the battle began in earnest, and laughing Death ended each one as they came to him. Marcus, a Hybrid she had grown friendly with in her time in New Orleans, grabbed her arm, "Caroline, you need to run!"

She looked to Adam who, in that freaky way of his sensed that she awaited direction, turned his gaze from the bloodbath – one could not call it a battle – to shake his head in the negative. There was no outrunning Death it seemed, not for her at least. "Marcus you should take the others and go," she told him calmly, much more calmly than she felt.

He shook his head, clearly frustrated, obviously desperate, "We cannot leave you."

Had she had it within her she might have laughed at the ridiculousness of that demanding selfish fool that had ordered his Hybrids to defend her to the death. Regardless of whether or not there was any chance of saving her. It was as much a waste as it was a burden – more blood on her hands. Adam broke into her spiraling thoughts to hand her a short curved sword. "Prepare yourself," he instructed and then moved forward to meet the enemy, Marcus the sole remaining Hybrid at his side.

Caroline wanted to call them back, but found herself mute. She imagined her friends from Mystic Falls would see the humor in that, Ms Chatterbox not able to make a sound. As the three came together she wondered what her mother was doing at that precise moment, she hoped she was happy - Liz Forbes deserved to be happy. When Marcus was cleaved in half her thoughts turned to Elena, she was glad that her friend was safe and not just a little relieved that she would avoid the whole Klaus is my boyfriend conversation - how funny it was that the doppelgänger everyone had wanted to kill would probably outlive them all. As Marcus' body hit the ground she thought of her best friends Stefan and Bonnie, she prayed to a god she didn't really believe in that the two were far away from danger. When Death began to toy with Adam laughingly parrying each strike, she thought of Silas - the enemy turned friend - she wished him joy.

The loud clanging of swords turned her thoughts from those that were not present and back to those that were. Adam was a sight to behold, truly skilled with his blade, against any other opponent she was sure he would have been victorious. The only two certainties in life are death and taxes, and didn't Death know it. He was a force of nature, if nature was a vain taunting prig. It was clear that Death was the more powerful, clear that the fight continued not because of Adam's skill, but because Death allowed it.

She didn't want to die, she wanted to go to Paris, Rome, Tokyo and every other city in existence - every other city there ever would be. Under the mountain of marble in the cemetery she had tapped into a power she didn't comprehend and released herself. Caroline had torn her prison apart, sent that entombing slab a football field high into the air. She needed that power now, she needed to throw Death so high that he left the atmosphere. But she didn't know how and there was only so long he would find Adam's ineffective swatting diverting. With her eyes closed she searched within herself and felt a discordant resonance, something that didn't quite fit, out of sync but very much a part of her. She reached for it, but like water slipping through her fingers she could not grasp it.

A gut retching gurgling sound snapped her eyes open and she watched as Death's blade opened Adam from stomach to sternum. Rather than removing the blade and ending Adam's pain Death held him up by it, watching her protector's face as though his lingering suffering was exceedingly entertaining. Caroline and Death were briefly united in observing Adam's last few moments of torment. When it ended Death seemed somewhat disappointed, Caroline alternated between relief at the end of Adam's suffering and fear that hers was just beginning.

When Death turned his gaze back to hers Caroline lifted her blade without conscious thought, she assumed a fighting stance and waited for him to make his move. She had no illusions regarding her chances, Adam was an infinitely superior fighter and Death seemed to view him as a joke. Caroline knew she couldn't win, but she also couldn't give up. Death smiled at her and it was the most chilling thing she had ever seen, she imagined that if she had celebrated a thousand birthdays it would still have been the most chilling thing she had ever witnessed. It was simply devoid - teared at one's very soul.

"Do you imagine you can beat me little one?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. His voice was liquid nitrogen piercing to the quick. Caroline made no answer, she was not capable of one, but she maintained her stance and someone managed to prevent her hands from shaking. "You are ill equipped, that blade cannot stop me, but this," he held his own sword out so that she could view it clearly. "This will cleave your soul."

Caroline did not doubt it, the sword seemed to absorb all the surrounding light shrouding itself in darkness. With the Other Side destroyed it hardly mattered that Death wielded a soul destroyer it was not as though the Afterlife was accessible for their kind, a normal blade would be just as effective. Chopin's funeral march probably should have been playing in the background as Death stepped forward to strip her of her life, but it wasn't. In all the time she had been at Klaus' house it had never been so silent, it was almost as unnatural as the man set upon erasing her existence.

Her senses were alight, every fiber of her being seemingly in overdrive, when his sword swept towards her it seemed to do so in slow motion. Even so her own sword moved so slowly that she barely managed to defend herself as it was the clashing of swords sent her reeling backwards impacting with the wall. Luckily or unluckily as the case may be, Death did not seem inclined to allow her to die so quickly. He held back and allowed her the time to compose herself before stalking forward yet again. Whether he slowed or she had somehow gotten quicker because she found it easier to deflect his attack. Still she found herself unequal to the task, each sweep of his sword more difficult to defend than the last. She was fast, she was strong, but he was clearly superior. Each minute he condescending allowed her to remain alive she felt her anger grow.

It wasn't enough that he was going to take her life, he had to make damn sure she was aware of how inferior she was beforehand. It reminded her all too much of her sessions with Connie, she spent the entire time on the defensive in little doubt that if her opponent held all the power. Though she was sure it would not have made any real difference she wished she had taken better advantage of her time with Connie - wished she could wield her weapon with just an ounce of the other woman's skill maybe then she might have the faintest glimmer of hope.

That the fight lasted longer than Death's fight with Adam was not due to her skill, rather an indication that Death found each of her frantic blocking movements more amusing, but eventually his interest seemed to wane. The blows came quicker and though she managed to dodge or block for a time it was pitifully short in duration. Death's blade sliced into her shoulder snapping her clavicle in two, she dropped her sword no longer able to hold it and awaited for Death's blade to finish the job. She thought then of the future she would never have, of Elijah and Kol who might have become like brothers to her, of Rebekah the inappropriate spiteful frienamy she would have called sister. She thought of green-blue eyes and full raspberry red lips - Klaus.

The soul cleaver came down in a sweeping arc that was clearly aimed at removing her head from her shoulders, but just before it was to bite into her flesh another blade intercepted. Caroline watched in muted awe as Death was pushed back clear across the room before a hand reached down and dragged her to her feet. Her gazed fixed upon another set of black eyes, these just as dark and uncompromising yet whilst the others froze these burned. Connie didn't utter a word, but with one hand holding Caroline up she moved to stand before her.

Once Caroline was able to hold herself up Connie retracted her hand and then it seemed as though she had faded from the woman's thoughts, Connie's attention now firmly held by Death alone. It was strange to see the two together, there was no doubt that they were of the same species but they were so very different. Death was as emotive as Connie was apathetic - emotions fleet across his face like ripples in a stream whilst Connie's features seemed unchangeable as though carved from marble.

The two circled each other in an elegant dance eyes fixed. "I find you are not as I imagined," Connie said.

"You mean to say you expected to find a weakling," he hissed in response.

"Your strength is borrowed, but not unexpected. I did not imagine I'd find you so lowly," though her tone did not change, it was clear that the words were an insult. For a moment Caroline did not understand what Connie meant until Death's face turned to stone as every trace of emotion, of repugnant humanity, left it. "Let us end this you and I," Connie said softly. "I doubt the witches can maintain you for long," she continued before her black eyes fleetingly meet Caroline's once more.

Caroline very much doubted that the words were for Death, unnecessary conversation was not the woman's forte. The message was clear, there was a witch or perhaps witches nearby who were assisting Death in his endeavor - Connie meant for her to put an end to this assistance. Caroline felt like death warmed up, her shoulder was in agony and didn't seem inclined to heal, so the most she was capable of was holding herself upright against the wall. Just a minute or two she told herself and then she would search for the witch, just until she could breathe without feeling as though she was inhaling razor blades.

_Just a moment._

Her eyes tracked the two otherworldly beings as they came together in a flash of swords. It was memorizing, they moved just a little too fast, blurring across her vision in a manner similar to how humans viewed vampire movement. Rather than an occasional clanging there was a continuous ringing as the swords came together in quick succession. Their two swords were mere extensions of their arms, impossible to determine any division as they navigated the room. Caroline could not determine who was winning or even if someone was, at times they just melded into one. Whether by mutual agreement or the force of one against the other the blurring figures moved through the room to a set of bay doors that led outside and then straight through them showering the lawn with glass and wood. Still Caroline could not find the strength to move.

Caroline had time to wonder when it got dark before the first strike of lightning, yet not lightening. It seemed to emanate from the one of the duelers and was answered by the other. Soon the air became electric as they traded blows amongst the continuing ringing of their swords.

"Caroline," a breathless voice drew her attention.

" _Katherine_?" her own voice sounded strained.

"You're bleeding," the doppelgänger stated before grabbing her hand on her uninjured side and pulling her. "Why aren't you healing?"

Caroline looked down at herself and was alarmed to find her entire shirt was red with blood. When they reached the grande foyer Katherine left her, she returned with a wad of surgical pads which she held against her shoulder before taping them in place without what seemed like the entire roll. It may not have stopped the bleeding, but it certainly slowed it down. Katherine shoved a blood bag in her face and she didn't waste time biting into it, blood had never been more welcome the last time she had fed had been from Klaus. It was strange but she did not feel the need to feed as much, perhaps to her own detriment considering her open shoulder. Then again the blood bag didn't do it any good, her flesh seemed disinclined to mend.

"Why are you helping me?" she didn't mean to seem ungrateful, but she rather thought Katherine Pierce would have out the door at the first sign of trouble.

"Well as I'm compelled for my own  _safety_ I had nothing else to do," Katherine responded with a wry smile.

Somehow Caroline's lips turned up in an answering smile, though in truth she found it about as amusing as Klaus requiring his Hybrids to die for her. The current environment was not conducive to the continued survival of a human Katherine, there was clearly a fault in Elijah's compulsion. New and improved Caroline hadn't been of much use as far as she was concerned, but perhaps she could assist Katherine. "Look into my eyes," she said, making a concerted effort to keep her own open.

"We are not going to talk about our feelings, I don't care if those two are shooting thunderbolts out their asses. It's not going to happen," Katherine accompanied the declaration with an eye roll and a sneer.

"You're such a bitch," she managed a wan smile.

Katherine gave her a look that boarded on worried, if one ever believed the doppelgänger capable of such things. "Do you think you can move?"

In answer she grabbed Katherine by the chin with her good arm, with gazes locked she focused. "You can leave the estate," she compelled.

"I can leave the estate," Katherine repeated.

Caroline let her go, slumping back to rest against the wall, she sincerely doubted she would ever get up again. "What are you waiting for Pierce?" she asked when Katherine didn't take off running.

"In case you missed it the largest fireworks display New Orleans has ever seen is taking place in the yard," somehow Caroline knew it was a lie. Any other time and she would have hugged the woman, she was genuinely touched. "Can you move Forbes?"

"I'm not sure it would matter if I could move," she rather thought that her fate would be decided by that battle on the lawn.

"She's right," another voice interjected.

Caroline turned her head towards the speaker, a young woman with caramel skin and beautiful brown eyes.  _Witch._

"And you are?" Katherine inquired standing.

"Tessa, or Qetsiyah, whatever," the woman advised moving steadily closer. "Now, where is Silas?"

"Out, would you like to leave a message?" Caroline responded willing Katherine to get out before Qetsiyah started demonstrating just how crazy she was.

"I want to shoot fireballs at Silas and drown him in acid," the witch said it with a smile, but it wasn't the words nor the expression that turned Caroline's stomach it was the white oak stake the woman was tossing between her hands.

From the moment Death's sword destroyed her shoulder Caroline had been feeling progressively weaker but seeing that stake in the hands of one crazy enough to use it gave her the strength to stand. Whatever else happened, whether Connie won or lost, Qetsiyah couldn't be allowed to leave the house with that stake. Caroline wouldn't allow her to. "Give me that," she snapped.

"Oh this little thing?" Qetsiyah smiled brightly. "I'm afraid I have need of it."

"I thought you were all about Silas?" Katherine asked.

"A girl needs hobbies, besides I'm a complicated person," the witch said whilst turning towards the door.

With her body screaming Caroline flashed between the witch and the exit. "That doesn't leave this house," she threw in every ounce of authority she could muster.

"And you're going to stop me?" Qetsiyah seemed amused, but her mood took a quick turn for the worse when Katherine lunged forward attempting to grab the stake. The witch sent Katherine flying, Caroline winced when she heard the doppelgänger impact with a wall. "You want the stake little girl?"

Caroline would have answered in the affirmative, but she didn't have time because as soon as the sentence left Qetsiyah's mouth the witch propelled the stake towards her chest. Any other day and she would have caught it, but not today. Today her hand moved too slowly and the stake embedded itself in her chest. She felt a burning sensation, knew without being told that stake hadn't simply pierced her chest it had pierced her heart. The hand that moved too slowly clasped itself around the stake, not to remove it, but to prevent it being taken.

Caroline was glad he wasn't with her, glad that at the end of all things she was alone.

* * *

Damon and Stefan had been on patrol with some of Klaus' Hybrids when the call came from Elijah that Judgy was in trouble. Though they wasted little time in getting there they were the last to arrive, something that Damon was rather grateful for. Destroyed buildings, piles of bodies and blood red streets were not indicative of a good time to be had by one and all. Still the Originals seemed in their element - he wondered if he had seen them like this earlier if he would have been quite so inclined to take up arms against them.  _Probably not._

They were all four of them lethal, but none more so than Klaus. Whilst the Hybrids they came with entered the battled directly and Stefan jumped in to assist the damsel who frankly seemed the better equipped fighter, Damon held back watching the melee. On one side were the Originals, Hybrids and a hand full of witches, on the other a boatload of vampires and an old collection of Emo Samurai that seemed to be making life difficult. "Well you've got die sometime," he grumbled and entered the fray.

As he worked very hard on staying alive or as alive as a vampire can be, he bore witness to the single most frightening sight in his existence. Klaus Mikaelson, Original Hybrid, turned Berserker. Never in all his years had he seen such unmitigated fury as the Original demonstrated, though the man wielded a sword Damon doubted that he really needed it. In fact three out of every four of the man's victims never felt the blade, they were torn limb from limb. Damon studiously avoided the circle of blood that outlined Klaus' territory, not overly convinced the Hybrid could recognize friend from foe.

But as scary as Klaus was fighting with them, it was infinitely more scary when he left them to fend for themselves. It wasn't just that with Klaus gone they had lost the advantage, it was the knowledge that there was only one reason in the world that Damon knew of that would cause the Hybrid to abandon his family when they needed him. If Caroline was in such dire trouble that Klaus had to leave then this battle, which Damon wasn't sure they could win, then it wouldn't end here. His morbid thoughts took a further turn when one of the Emo clan ruined his favorite jacket by slicing into the sleeve.  _Dick._

He spent a good ten minutes trying to end the dick's existence before Elijah obliged by removing Emo's head. Damon was about to thank the Original when he was distracted by something even more chilling than Berserker Klaus, his brother with a stake through his chest.


	41. Chapter 41

He arrived too late entering just in time to watch the stake impale her, just in time to catch her as she fell hand clasped around the protruding wood. Caroline's skin was pale, her crystal blue eyes burning in her face. Their gazes fixed and he smiled at her, as brightly as he was able. "Hello gorgeous," he greeted her softly.

"Silas," she murmured her eyes seemed to drink him in.

"Oh, isn't that just precious," the hag interjected.

Silas did not look up to meet Qetsiyah's vile eyes, he did not wish to miss a moment of Caroline's remaining time. "Why didn't you run?" he couldn't help but ask as she turned a whiter shade of pale.

"We had a deal," she smiled and for a moment it seemed as though nothing bad could happen. That is what she did to him, made him see the world other than what he knew it to be. Bathing in her light there was nothing but possibilities, life was vibrant. How bleak the world would be without her; how empty would his victory over Qetsiyah seem without his little ray of sunshine bearing witness. His hand encircled the hand clinging to the offending item in her chest and though her eyes widened in alarm he removed it.

"No," she mouthed, her hand clinching the stake so tightly it would have been ground to dust had it not been spelled. Silas knew of course what it was she held and why it was she seemed intent on using the last of her strength to retain possession.

"I have it," he told her and was pleased to see her tension evaporate, happy that she allowed him to wrench it from her fingers. How funny that her trusting him was so affecting, and how utterly deflating it was to know that he had so freely given her the power to hurt him.

Worse than that, Silas realized as he continued to hold her, he had given her the power to control his actions, control him. He should have been ripping Qetsiyah's heart from her chest, not allowing her to watch as yet once more his was. Even though he loved Caroline, she was dying so he really shouldn't give a damn whether or not the stake was safe from the Originals' enemies. But he did.

_Just when did her concerns become my own?_

Even whilst he held the stake in a death grip his other hand caressing her face his mind screamed at him to get up, to leave Caroline where she lay, toss that stake aside and plant his hands firmly around Qetsiyah's waiting throat. Yet his body simply wouldn't respond his heart holding dominion and demanding that he remain where he was. But more than that, that he guard that stake as though his own life depended on it.

Two thousand years he had waited and he couldn't get himself up off the floor.

He consoled himself imagining that once she died he would be able to function again. Any concern over whether or not the Hybrid and his descendants remained among the living would cease. Once she was gone it wouldn't matter,  _she_  wouldn't matter, but whilst she lay dying before him there was nothing more important than her and retaining possession of that stake was imperative. Once Caroline was gone from the world the whereabouts of the white oak stake wouldn't matter to him, once she left him her influence would melt away - he wouldn't care anymore. He wanted it to be true, yet something told him that her influence would loiter - much like she was.

So full of life she did not seem inclined to leave it. A white oak stake through the heart of an Original could not take so long to consume, yet still she dawdled. Pale as snow, weak as the new born runt of the litter, she persisted. He escaped the prison of her gaze and turned his eyes upon the wound in her chest. It had not healed, yet it almost seemed smaller than before. Yet her ruin of a shoulder was bleeding onto his chest turning his shirt as red as hers – no sign of improvement.

_Wishful thinking._

"Caroline..." he didn't know quite what to say. What could he say? What  _should_  he say?

"I'm not done baking," she whispered, her eyes watery and her breathing labored.

It took him a moment to recognize the line, it had amused him when he first heard it but it wasn't funny now. Not least because she was right, Caroline Forbes was cookie dough nowhere close to the person she was meant to become. It was much too soon and she deserved so much better. Caroline deserved the kind of life you only read about in children's books – she deserved a happily ever after. She never should have become a broken fairy tale, her Prince not even with her at the last - only company the bitch of a step-sister and Grumpy the dwarf personified.

Veins began to appear and beneath his fingers her skin felt leathery, but that light behind her eyes was still burning brightly. It refused to be extinguished. Caroline Forbes didn't seem to recognize when she was beaten.

Silas didn't have time to further contemplate her drawn out death because Qetsiyah ran out of whatever small degree of patience she might have possessed and attacked him. His head felt as though it had exploded and he cringed away, his body instinctively increasing the distance between the tormentor and himself. It was an immediate reaction, but quite unlike his bubbly blonde it was not enduring. Silas had lived two thousand years in abject misery, a witch's aneurysm however powerful could not compare. He pulled himself to his feet and faced her, the stake still firmly in his grasp, his determination to end their two thousand year war unwavering.

"Well would you look at you," the hag sneered.

Silas supposed he could have hated her more, he just wasn't sure how. For all intents and purposes his hate for Qetsiyah was what defined him, for two thousand years or so. With victory so close he felt strangely hollow; he didn't feel like the little boy anticipating the arrival of Christmas as he imagined he would be. He was not giddy at the prospect of taking her life – his joy lay dying a few feet away. He felt precisely how he had felt the majority of his existence, bitter and cheated - it was possible they had that in common.

"Take a look at yourself you pestilent cow," he answered in kind.

"Call me a woman scorned or a vindictive bitch or whatever label suits your story, but I thought I was your one true love, and you ripped my heart out. I loved you," she wasn't the least bit weepy - no sign of the love sick fool she had been all those years past.

"Yeah? Well get in line," he wanted to pierce her with words, anger her until she couldn't think straight, wouldn't notice that with every word he edged slowly closer. Somewhere out of his line of sight he heard movement, Qetsiyah heard it as well for she turned away from him towards the sound. He made use of the momentary distraction, and of the stake still held firmly in his hand, stabbing it upwards deep into the upper abdomen of her right side before withdrawing it. He stabbed her again, and then once more just to be certain, leaving the stake in her side.

The aim was not to kill her, not yet, but to do so much damage that her death was inevitable and more importantly slow. He wanted the satisfaction of watching the bitch bleed out, he wanted her to know that she had lost and her  _entire_  existence was meaningless. Silas eyes focused upon the blood seeping out between Qetsiyah's desperate fingers, it was almost black, her life flowing out of her. It was everything he had wanted, everything he had thought he wanted, but it was disappointing not least because the only reason he watched was because he did not wish to turn his eyes upon the body behind him.

Eventually though his eyes turned involuntarily, drawn towards her form as he had always been to her light. Caroline's form was still, her skin the grey hue of death her checks hollow, her eyes sunken. He had missed it, she had passed sometime during his altercation with the hag. Amara's death had sent him into a rage, but hers hollowed him out so that he was as much a husk as the body in which she had resided.

"Silas!" a voice called in warning.

He turned too late, the stake went straight through his back and lodged in his heart. It was surprisingly painful, he had after all been stabbed before. This was different, his entire being felt as though it was on fire his veins carrying the flames from his heart to each of his extremities.

_Something's wrong._

"True love prevails," he heard the hag utter and then a thudding sound as her body hit the ground.

Silas understood then what she had done, understood that it didn't have to be the white oak stake a chair leg would have sufficed. Qetsiyah had killed him, as surely as he had killed her. He did not waste his last few moments lamenting the death of his revenge or even his own death, his eyes focused on the blonde angel who shone a light on his last few months. At least he did not have to endure a continued existence, he would never know the aching emptiness of living each day without her, knowing that he had failed her.

He had fallen so that they were facing each other, her face inundating his vision. Caroline was beautiful, even in death. At the moment of his death he watched as a single tear traveled down her hollowed out check from those bright crystal blue eyes he so adored.

* * *

Bonnie wasn't sure she could last much longer, without the spirits to assist - assuming that they would have, of course - every spell weakened. She was beyond tired and the enemy just didn't let up. No matter how many spells she threw at them, how many their side picked off, the enemy just kept  _coming_. Yes there were now less than ten of the things still standing, but there were still plenty of enemy vampires and they were all of them bloody and depleted. Granted, none of the blood splattered across her was her own but with every spell she felt as though she were slowly bleeding out.

When Klaus abandoned them she felt as though the axis of the world had shifted. Caroline was her person, and if things were so dire that there was no option for the Original Hybrid but to leave his siblings to a death that seemed imminent, then her best friend was on the verge of death herself. Bonnie had lost so many that she clung to those remaining few like a limpet, and of those few Caroline was numero uno. Her only consolation in the middle of what seemed a hopeless battle was that Caroline was absent. With that removed, along with their most able fighter, she felt like giving up. Bonnie Bennett who always fought with every fiber of her being, felt like lying down and letting the enemy take her.

But then two things happened, Stefan was staked and Kol - the biggest annoyance that life had to offer - had taken her hand in his. The vision of Stefan with a stake through his chest the echo of Damon's heartbreaking cry forced her to focus back on the battle, away from all those horrifying imaginings of what had befallen Caroline and to the horror before her. The touch of Kol's hand, bizarre as it may seem, reminded her that even if Caroline was gone from the world she still had people to fight for. How Kol became one of that number, she really didn't know and now was not the time to wonder.

_So not the time._

His hand in hers she felt stronger as though they were as one, and perhaps they were, no one had ever lifted the spell that bound them after all. But even with their strength combined they were unequal to the task before them, the enemy was too many and unrelenting. They needed to run, needed time to regroup and try to recoup their strength, but that was impossible. They were surrounded, the collapsed building behind them was now home to more of the enemy vampires as their ever withering group had been forced into the center of the courtyard with the enemy camping on every side.

It was hopeless.

Utterly.

Completely.

Irrevocably.

Hopeless.

_"Seriously?" a soft voice whispered in her ear._

Bonnie turned seeking out the voice's owner, tears of relief building in her eyes, but there was no one.

_"With all this blood there is nothing you can do?" the voice, Caroline's voice, continued. "Grams' would be ashamed."_

Caroline Forbes was her person, and it seemed not even death would stop her from being there when she was most needed. Bonnie scanned the courtyard with new eyes, there were so many bodies, so much blood. Blood was power and Bonnie Bennett knew how to harness it. Expression was dangerous and her track record wasn't brilliant, but the choices were bleak, her options try or die.

_"Dying is so not an option," her best friend scolded._

So try then.

Bonnie opened herself and tapped into the energy that so many Supernatural deaths could create. She felt a surge as she caught hold of it and then another as it caught hold of  _her_. It almost overwhelmed her, the power  _almost_  took control, but then she felt another presence pulling her back - saving her sanity. It was like a warm embrace and it held her firmly. She opened her eyes and looked upon the still raging battle, her side was clearly losing but all that was about to change. Bonnie had never in her life felt so powerful.

With little effort she reached forth with her mind and stopped the enemy vampires in their tracks, each and every one of them froze as though for them time itself had come to a stand still. The sword wielding creatures were beyond her control, but the debris surrounding them was not. Bonnie pulled her allies to her, forcing them backwards until each was within touching distance, and then she built a fortress of debris to protect them. A moving wall of wood, stone, and every weapon not held within the creatures unwavering fists.

Bonnie saw the battle from above, looking down upon it, she watched as the creatures converged seemingly unperturbed by the moving wall of death. One by one they tried to penetrate and one by one she severed their heads from their bodies with whatever was most convenient. When the last creature fell she sent her deadly wall outwards shredding the majority of the stationary vampires. She felt an overwhelming sense of satisfactions seeing each of them crumble - she felt positively giddy. Each death increasing her power.

A handful remained, her eyes settled upon the stake lodged in Stefan's chest - he like the others pulled back into her protective circle - she sent it flying into another of their enemies and then she dispatched the remaining few. It was disappointing to have no further targets, she wanted more. She needed more. The power flowing within her veins was not enough. Bonnie turned her gaze beyond the courtyard, hunting for enemies that might have escaped, hunting for any that might one day become the enemy.

Just as she came across a group of witches that other presence pushed itself to the forefront. It tried to pull her back, to stop her from removing every possible threat to her friends and her. Did it not understand that if she had done this earlier none of this would have happened? Did it not understand that she was doing this for them? They would never had to fear again, she could remove from the world any and all that might stand against them.

"Bonnie, come back," it called to her, both in her mind and outside it. "Come back," it commanded.

She opened her eyes and found herself gazing into a pair of brown eyes, they were not sparkling as usual they seemed dulled by worry.

_Kol. It was Kol._

"Let it go, Bonnie," he said.

And she did, she let the power seep out of her. With it went all those giddy feelings, she felt utterly drained, disconsolate. The only warmth was through their still joined hands. She looked around at the destruction she had wrought - it looked as though a bomb had gone off.

"You're okay," Kol told her.

_No._

She wasn't okay, she didn't think she ever would be again.

Much like Damon, who was on his knees clinging to Stefan's body making a noise that most closely resembled a strangled cat.

"Careful, brother. Your humanity is showing," Stefan's sentence brought silence.

A moment of calm, of joy, for each and every member of their party. If, of course, you didn't count her. By the time Damon's tears of heartache turned joyous, Bonnie was already beyond the courtyard and looking for a means of transport. She needed to get to Caroline, or whatever was left of her, she needed to see her with her own eyes. It was only when she reached to open the door and found her hand was attached to another's that she realized that Kol was still by her side.

"We'll go together," he said and she broke down crying.

Two miracles in one day weren't possible after all.


	42. Chapter 42

With tunnel vision he flashed through New Orleans seeing nothing but the path that led to  _her_. Outside that limited line of vision he was oblivious, within it he was tormented. Each and every second it took to reach her more agonizing than the last, a thousand different imagined horrors attacking his psyche.

The journey was not more painful than its conclusion. When he reached his destination Klaus saw Silas first, the white oak stake buried in his back. Just behind him in a pool of her own blood lay Qetsiyah. Neither body elicited a response, neither mattered. Upon seeing the third though...Klaus' world ended, not with a bang but with a whimper – a weak cry issuing from his own throat. Nothing he had imagined was quite as depraved as what he found, in all his abhorrent imaginings she had still been living. It was impossible for him to consider otherwise. So to find her unmoving, to find her a lifeless grey, silent, that whole in her chest where his own heart resided, was…

The single worst moment of his existence.

If each and every other person he had cared about in entirety of his life had died on the same day it would not have compared to the utter devastation her body engendered. He wanted to disappear within her, to follow where she led. He wanted to join her, join with her, never be parted again. He felt no rage, just a black dissonant sorrow so consuming that everything else ceased to be – he ceased to be. The world continued without him, day could have turned to night, then day again and he would not have noticed. He saw nothing but his own misery, even her face was lost in his wretched reverie. Klaus did not even realize he held her body in a tight embrace, the white oak stake firmly in his grasp, until the black eyed bitch called him back.

"Get off the floor Niklaus," that calm even voice.

Oh how he hated it.

"You did this," he replied meeting her eyes, the emptiness inside him burning into rage.

"No doubt," she murmured.

She had always been cold, always been distant...apart. He had known that she never did anything unless it suited her, unless it fit within her grande scheme of things. She was not now, nor had she ever been _human_. It was therefore irrational to think that she should show some humanity now, that faced with a broken man embracing his lost love, she might offer a kind word, might be anything other than what she was always was.

An apathetic spectator.

Klaus hated her, more than he had ever hated anyone or anything in his entire existence, except perhaps himself.

"If looks could kill," she was undaunted. Her eyes slid from his and settled upon Caroline. "Do you know why I chose her?" as though they were discussing the weather.

He did not have it within him to reply. He knew of course, she chose Caroline because he loved her. And so, in a way, he was responsible.

He  _killed_  her. He  _deserved_  to die, but so did the woman before him.

"People like her don't become vampires," she told him. "Her kind aren't chosen. Not by those impulsive, volatile creatures that your bloodline is flooded with," her gaze shifted to rest on Caroline's form. "I chose her Niklaus because she alone was fit for purpose."

"And just what purpose does she serve dead?" he was surprise his voice didn't break.

"None," she replied with an infuriatingly uncaring tone. "Get up Niklaus," her voice turned softer, something approaching concern coloring it. As angry as her apathy made him, this approximation of caring was worse. "You are in my way," she waved her hand at him as though becoming impatient.

Though it was physically painful he let Caroline go and rose to his feet. She who he hated, despised with all his being and not two seconds before wanted to tear her black eyes from their sockets, took his place – that honoured position. She placed her hands upon the open wound of Caroline's shoulder and a glowing light emanated from her fingers delving into the ruined flesh until it too glowed. When a minute later the light faded away Caroline's shoulder was whole again, the hole in her chest gone.

And just like that he turned from rage to hope.

Still her skin maintained the grey of death, lifeless.

"She's desiccated?" he begged more than asked.

She stood and moved away from Caroline's body upon which his gaze was fixed. No verbal response was forthcoming, yet her actions spoke volumes. Why heal her if she was already gone? With feelings he could not put into words he flashed into the dungeon, grabbed half a dozen blood bags and flashed back to Caroline's side. He ripped open one after the other and poured them all down her throat, it wasn't until the end of the fourth that her skin began to turn its natural shade. Not until the very last did her hand come up to wrap around the bag, and only once she had finished that did she open her beautiful blue eyes.

"Klaus," she breathed out his name. He didn't think he had ever heard anything so delightful.

"Caroline," he caressed her name just as he did her face. A tear made its way down his face and on to hers.

"Are you going to lock me in a tower now?" the faintest of smiles on her face.

"More likely a dungeon," he was  _almost_  joking.

"Silas died," her voice sounded small.

"I know," having stepped over his body to reach her. He felt an overwhelming urge to claim her, to take her right there amongst the bodies - he needed to feel her, to breathe in her scent, to taste her. He needed to remind her she was his, remind himself.

"I have a body to take care of Caroline, but once I am finished we will talk," the black eyed bitch interrupted and then left without waiting for a response.

"Is Katherine okay?" Caroline asked as he helped her up. He couldn't help the look that crossed his face, what did he care if the doppelganger bitch was dead or alive? "She helped me," his blonde beauty told him in stern tone.

Still, he could quite bring himself to care about Katerina Petrova's wellbeing. There were better things they could be doing with whatever time was allowed them.

Caroline however flashed out of his arms and straight to the doppelganger's prone form. His senses told him that the woman was regretfully still breathing, but the blood seeping slowly from her ear wasn't exactly a sign of good health. "We need to take her to the hospital," she said with a worried expression.

"You are  _not_  going anywhere," he told her in no uncertain terms.

And she paid no heed; "Help me with her."

He'd sooner have barnacles growing off him.

"Klaus!" she scolded as though he had said it out loud.

Katherine was, he supposed, exceedingly lucky Caroline coming back from the dead had put him in such a good mood. "I'll have the Hybrids take her," he muttered.

"They're dead, some idiot turned them into my human shields," she verged on shouting.

_Bloody hell she's magnificent._

"Klaus!" she was clearly very frustrated now.

"There's two in the dungeon, I'll send them," he told her and then before she had the chance to berate him further he went to collect them. To say that Caroline looked shocked when he returned with Tyler and Hayley was an understatement. She looked utterly beside herself. Klaus was certain they would be discussing, well arguing, about it later. But for now a doppelganger was in peril and Miss Caroline Forbes - self-appointed protector - was focused on that.

He looked deeply in Tyler's eyes compelling him, "Take her to the hospital, make sure she gets the best care and then return to your cell and stay there." As Tyler dumbly repeated the orders Caroline pierced Klaus with a withering gaze. It took a great deal of skill not to smirk in reply. "Go with them, when he returns to his cell you will return to your duties," he directed at Hayley who shuddered, but then like a good little minion helped Tyler carry the doppelganger out.

"We  _are_  talking about that later," Caroline said whilst leaning over Qetsiyah's body. Her hand delved into the witch's pocket and came out holding a familiar looking vial. Without a word he flashed out of the room and back to the dungeon's blood vault in which he stored the cure Rebekah had given him. It was still there. He looked up to find that Caroline had followed him.

"There are two?" she asked her eyes darting between the two vials.

"And no more," he told her smirking.

Her teeth worried her bottom lip and he torn between fantasizing about taking it between his own teeth and despairing over what was about to say, knowing only too well that he wouldn't like it. "Well, then I suppose you best give one back," she sounded a lot more confident than she looked.

"And who might I give it back to  _sweetheart_?" he had a sinking suspicion.

"Rebekah, of course," she sneered as though it should have been obvious.

"Rebekah doesn't want to be human, she'd be just as miserable. It's the ideal she's in love with," he stated plainly.

"Even so," and she gave him that look again, half smoldering, half pleading.

"Bloody hell," she would be the death of him.

"I love you," she said so sweetly.

It was the single best moment of his existence.

* * *

When the battle ended Rebekah did not retreat with the rest of her family, she took – well, compelled - two of Nik's remaining Hybrids and went hunting. Bloody and tired she would ordinarily be grateful to retire to the refuge of her brother's home, but she knew, as they all did, what Nik leaving the battle meant and she did not care to face the awaiting disaster. Ever since she arrived in New Orleans she had been on an emotional roller coaster, she had barely managed to stitch herself back together following Babygate, she wasn't ready for more.

Rebekah didn't want to know what had befallen Caroline, not yet, not  _ever_. At some point in the very immediate future she would have to, of course she knew that. But for now Caroline was perfectly well and Nik was busy obsessively planning his future with the woman he loved. For now, everything was perfect.

Well, almost.

Marcel and the worst bartender in the history had not made an appearance at the battle and so had avoided their allies allotted fate. It didn't seem fair to her and in a long line of things that weren't fair she could actually do something about this, so she went hunting. Well, hunting probably wasn't the right term, considering she knew where he would be hiding. It was quiet when she reached the Garden, excepting the odd noise from the structures inhabitants – it was so quiet in fact that she had little trouble identifying the beating pulse of a human heart.

Perhaps it was a trap, perhaps the human was only present in order to conduct them to their deaths. Trouble was she was an Original and barring Marcel tossing the cure down her throat or having a coven of witches on hand, he could not kill her. Nik held the only weapon that could destroy them and she was confident he would not allow it to escape him, no matter who might come to claim it. And seeing as there was not a single witch at the battle fighting on the other side, she was fairly confident none of their kind would await them.

Even if she had thought otherwise, she didn't think she would have been able to stop herself. She needed to know, once and for all, if what they had was real or yet another in a long line of painful manipulations.

Marcel was, of course, waiting for her. The worst bartender in history was seated against a wall behind him, looking suitably scared. "Rebekah, to what do I owe the pleasure?" he greeted her with his usual cockiness, but something in his eyes told her he was just as afraid as the girl appeared.

"You've lost," she told him working hard on appearing bored, all the time wondering why the girl was there. Just what was her relationship with Marcel? "All your little minions are dead," she continued.

"I thought it would be Klaus," he said in an even tone of voice.

"Is that why she's here?" she waved a hand in the bartender's direction. Masking insecurity with an indifferent expression.

"He's fond of her," Marcel answered, his voice sounding just a little too calm.

"He's clearly not the only one," so kill her if she sounded bitter. She was.

"I really did intend for us to be together," he said it only loud enough for her to hear him.

That told Rebekah all she needed to know, whatever he felt for her it was not love. Not the kind she desired in any case, not what she craved. He spoke softly because he didn't want the other woman to hear him. Rebekah moved without thinking, pulled the other blonde to her feet whilst biting into her own wrist and forcing the human to drink. She meet Marcel's gaze before she snapped her neck.

"I think I'll bury you here, a fitting resting place - the graveyard of our relationship. I haven't decided yet if it would be better to have her transition and join you or..." she trailed off. Pain radiating from Marcel's eyes, it was as gratifying as it was heart-breaking. He clearly loved the blonde human and ending her human existence had hurt him, but not nearly as much as it hurt Rebekah. Marcel loved another, and all those promises, all those words of love and that picture of a future together - lies. Nought but ash in her mouth.

"You had better kill me Rebekah," he seethed at her. "Because if you don't one day I'll get out of here, one day I'll come for you," he was practically growling now.

"I'm an Original," she replied with a smirk and then snapped his neck. Rebekah had the one of the Hybrids start digging, sending the other to get vervain, and left to acquire a cup of blood herself. She was back in record time, so had to wait a while for the two lovers to awaken. Cami did so first and after tossing the cup down the new vampires throat she lodged her fangs into her neck and bleed her dry. By the time Marcel awoke Cami was already vervained and buried. Rebekah drained and vervained him as well, but did not go so far as to completely incapacitate him - she wanted him aware, wanted him to have enough strength to try to break free but not so much that he would succeed.

"We buried her right there," she pointed across the room. "This way you can always be together, like you deserve."

"One day he will come for me, whether to finish me off or to forgive. He  _will_  come," it seemed to take an awful lot of effort for him to form the words. She wondered why he was bothering. "When he does, I will tell him how his father found him. I will tell him what  _we_  did."

He was serious and she was terrified.

"My family and I have done some terrible things to each other over the years, but Rebekah would not call my father no matter how angry she was," Nik's voice was like a stake through her heart.

He could not have come at a worse moment, she could not hide her terror. She could not hide her guilt.

And he  _saw_  it.

Tears began to stream down her face. "Nik...I..."

"You betrayed your own blood," it was not a question.

"Nik," she sobbed his name out.

He came at her, his features twisted into a mask of rage and hate. He was not her brother, she was not sure if he ever would be again.

And then she felt it, the stake piercing through her chest. White oak, her senses told her, she followed its length from her chest to the hand that held it there, up the arm, chest, to the face she knew so well. He looked at her as though she was a stranger, as though they shared nothing and never could. If receiving confirmation that Marcel did not love her was heart-breaking, her brother disowning her was soul destroying.

"You missed my heart," she shakily said.

"Perhaps I did," he paused, "Or perhaps I never meant to kill you. Perhaps I just wanted you to feel a fraction of the fear I felt when father came for me." He withdrew the stake twirling it in his hands, his gaze withdrawn from her as though the sight of her sickened him.

"I know you hate me, but what's done is done," she did not bother to explain, there was no explanation he would find acceptable. Besides, he would not listen.

"What's done is never done. It remains within us, the story we tell ourselves so we know who we are. A vicious father, a bastard son, and the sister who betrayed him," his voice was devoid of emotion.

"I'm sorry," she wanted to say so much more, but the words wouldn't come.

The stake fell from his hands and he looked at her, he seemed all of his thousand years in that moment. "What is it you want, Rebekah?"

"The same things I've wanted since I was a child. I want a home. I want a family. I want someone to love me, and I want to live," she softly replied, hoping that he might show mercy, that he might remember that she had been with him for centuries. That she was, but for one moment of weakness, loyal.

"Perhaps it's time for a new story," he muttered.

She almost dared to hope and then he was on her shoving something down her throat.

"Go far away and never come back. New Orleans will be mine. I will live with Caroline here, in the city you took from me," he whispered in her ear. "You sister, you are free. I have cured you."


	43. Chapter 43

When Silas had fallen she had barely been able to focus, her body a prison she was unable to communicate with him. Utterly helpless, all her strength having seeped out of her shoulder, she could do nothing but watch the light leave his eyes. It was heartbreaking to look into those empty windows knowing that his death was surely her fault. To know that he was gone from the world forever.

There was nothing to distract her, nothing to take her mind off her grief, her guilt. With no small amount of effort she managed to close her eyes, withdraw herself from the painful sight she could not turn away from. But blocking him from her sight did nothing to relieve her agony and once closed she could not find the strength to reopen them - each passing second made her weaker. Caroline did not comprehend why she endured whilst Silas had perished, was he not the immortal of the two of them?

Paralyzed and blind she had only her hearing remaining, but all too soon that faded as well leaving her locked inside herself. Her mind brought forth a multitude of horrors to torture her, Silas' death mask eventually giving prominence to similar images of each and every person she loved. The self inflicted punishment might have lasted centuries or merely seconds, but it seemed unending. It was all too much and then it stopped, the torturous images replaced by the sight of her own body as though she was above it.

Caroline looked down upon herself, upon Silas, upon Qetsiyah, and finally upon Katherine - the only one of the four to show any signs of life. She had, she realized, somehow separated herself from the lifeless looking shell that kept her prisoner. The longer she looked down upon the scene though, the more painful it became, the more desperate she felt to escape it. And so she did what her body could not, she turned away and pushed herself far from the miserable scene seeking out solace - seeking her friends.

She arrived at a scene as disheartening as that which she had just left, her friends were in danger of joining Silas in oblivion - Stefan with a stake through his heart making her all the more miserable. The only solace to be taken was that there was no sign of Klaus. Caroline wanted to turn away, to leave the scene as she had the one before, yet she could not. Stefan was gone, but there were others still standing, Bonnie among them. She focused on that, focused on her and watched her friend as she struggled against their enemies. She watched as those green eyes turned desperate, watched as despair settled in. Bonnie Bennett was giving up she realized.

Grief gave way to anger, Bonnie had died once and she had vowed that were such a thing to ever occur again it would be years hence when Bonnie was old and surrounded by her hundred odd descendants. The courtyard was drenched in blood, lifeless Supernatural's littering the place, how had Bonnie not noticed that? "Seriously?" she said and then Bonnie did the strangest thing, she turned towards her as though she could hear her speaking.

_Perhaps she can._

"With all this blood there is nothing you can do?" she asked her friend. "Grams' would be ashamed," she scolded. Bonnie looked then at the bodies that surrounded her and Caroline could see the calculation in her eyes, but was there also a measure of fear? Expression was dangerous, for Bonnie particularly so, but it was that or die.

"Dying is so not an option," she snapped. Caroline felt it when Bonnie began to tap into the blood magic, but before she had the opportunity to see just what her friend was capable something pulled at her and she found herself back in the prison of her body. There was stemming from her ruined shoulder an electric burning as though tiny bolts of lightning were attacking the area. And then it spread, seeping from her shoulder into the rest of her system, flowing through her veins like blood. For a moment she felt as though her entire being were on fire and then it faded into blackness and she found herself locked beneath her flesh once more.

The discordance within her was no more, or rather it was there, but no longer out of sync. It no longer had a particular place of residence, flowing within her as though she was born with it. She wasn't sure exactly what it was or what it meant, but she did know that it was Connie's doing which meant of course that the woman had triumphed. Caroline wasn't certain how she felt about that. She wasn't sure about a lot of things.

Upon her tongue there was a substance she knew well, blood. Rich, delicious, wondrous blood. It trickled down her throat and as she consumed it she felt her body come to life until she found herself about to hear again, able to move again, able to open her eyes, able to speak. "Klaus," she was never so grateful that he was there.

"Caroline," he returned and then she felt wetness upon her check.

_Was he crying?_

Something told her it wouldn't be wise to ask, so instead she tried to cheer him up; "Are you going to lock me in a tower now?"

"More likely a dungeon," he told her.

She wouldn't put it passed him to do just that; she suddenly regretted bringing it up.

Regret. "Silas died."

"I know," he said and somehow that was comforting.

"I have a body to take care of Caroline, but once I am finished we will talk," Connie interrupted and then disappeared. Something told Caroline that whatever discussion they were to have Klaus should not be there for it and the body disposal task was merely to allow Caroline time to send him on his way. It seemed imperative that Klaus leave, something inside her bleating a warning that his continued presence would result in nothing but more heartache. The problem was that Klaus seemed wholly uninterested in leaving her ever again.

The solution came to her when her senses reminded her that Katherine was still among the living, when he defeated her by producing Hayley and Tyler - and just how long had they been at the mansion? - she wondered what Connie would do to him. The vial she found hidden in Qetsiyah's clothing presented another chance and when he dashed down to the blood vault to check on the one Rebekah had given him she pounced. Whatever he said, however much he protested, Caroline knew that he loved Rebekah dearly and though he might hate to do so, he would offer her the choice.

Alone in the mansion she waited for Connie to return, she was thankful that her wait was not of a long duration. "Is it over?" she asked as Connie returned the scene of Silas' death.

"As though such a thing could ever end," Connie replied in that deadly calm voice of hers. "No, it is not over. He is dead and there will follow a period of quiet, but it will never be over. My kind is unrelenting," she advised and then laughed as though it was somehow amusing.

"What are you?" Caroline asked once more, wondering if this time she might receive an answer, wondering if there was an answer to give. Connie was silent. "Are you Angels?" she asked deciding if Connie didn't feel inclined to volunteer she'd simply go down the list.

Her reward was more laughter and a shake of the head. "Did you ever notice how in the Bible, whenever God needed to punish someone, or make an example, or whenever God needed a killing, he sent an angel? Did you ever wonder what a creature like that must be like? A whole existence spent praising your God, but always with one wing dipped in blood. Would you ever really want to see an angel?"

Right up until Connie's little speech Caroline would have said otherwise, but it appeared Connie was adept at tainting things. "I guess not," she mumbled.

"Old ones, Guardians, Demons, Fairies, Fey, Angels - there are others that are better suited to such titles, though we have been called each of them in our turn. No matter the name we are destruction, the nightmare, the end of all things," Connie continued to lighten the mood.

"How pleasant," she found herself sneering back.

"Indeed," and now Connie seemed truly amused. The woman bent down and wiped her blood dipped sword upon Qetsiyah's shirt, it was callous and Caroline found herself grateful that the woman had not chosen to do such a thing with Silas' corpse. "I am ancient, the breath of humanity's existence  _nothing_ , barely the blink of an eye," Connie continued seemingly oblivious to the judgment in Caroline's eyes. "Yet all things must end," and her black eyes came up to capture Caroline's blue ones.

For a moment Caroline thought that Connie was going to kill her, slice her in two with the freshly cleaned blade, and perhaps for a moment Connie had considered it. The black eyes moved downwards and Caroline found her own travelling to see what they beheld. Between them Connie held the sword, the hilt towards Caroline. "This sword can kill my kind either by severing the head or piercing the heart, no other thing in all the worlds is capable," Connie's fingers moved further down the hilt, leaving room enough for Caroline's hands should she choose to reach out. "It is death to all others that touch it; swords such as these can only be wielded by those of our spirit - this one can only be wielded by mine," she instructed as though Caroline was tempted to touch the thing.

"Take it by the hilt Caroline," she softly ordered.

Without really thinking Caroline wrapped her hands around it, the sword seemed to hum in her hands and she looked at Connie questioningly as the other woman surrendered her hold.

"One day, perhaps tomorrow, perhaps in a century, my kind will break through the barriers I created and return to your world. When they do Caroline make sure you have built an army so vast that they regret it," and then she moved forward and embraced Caroline, impaling herself on the sword Caroline still held out between them.

From her throat Caroline emitted a shocked gasp.

"I cannot live in your world, it would not survive me," Connie uttered and then she crumpled. Caroline watched as the other woman fell backwards into the pool of Qetsiyah's blood before her form dissolved into dust.

* * *

The short trip to the hospital was like being paroled from hell, the instruction to insure that Katherine got the best of care was like a godsend extending the time free from the horrors of the mansion. Hayley hadn't know just how cruel Klaus could be until every cell in her body was screaming in agony while she broke each of Tyler's again and again and again...

Being allowed to leave, even for a short period, was like heaven. But once Katherine was out of surgery and settled in intensive care there was nothing more to be done for her, it was as though the doctor had announced that Hayley was dying and not the other brunette. Each step back to the mansion was another towards her own destruction, not of body but of her mind and soul. Katherine was lucky really, bleeding from the brain not such a bad way to go - that woman's suffering would end. Hayley was now immortal, and Klaus had promised to make her suffer for a long time to come.

Tyler would not look at her, she did not blame him, why would he want to look into the face of his torturer? That didn't mean it didn't hurt. It cut like the knifes she used to slice into his flesh as though it were butter. It tore at her like the whips that rent his skin. During their brief reprieve she wanted him to say something to her, to at least acknowledge her with a nod of his head, something to let her know that he did not blame her. Could see passed what she did to him. Knew that she still loved him.

But he wouldn't look at her. Not for the first time she wondered if it were Caroline in her position might he react differently. Might he do the kindness of a single glance so that she knew he didn't hate her. It was funny, in a depressing way, that Caroline arose in her the same feelings of inadequacy that Tyler once told her Elena engendered in the blonde. Hayley felt very much like the second choice; worse, she felt as though there was no one in the world who would ever truly love her.

With Klaus she expected it, after all what were they to each other but a brief respite from loving one who didn't return the favor. An exhaling of despair through a physical act that allowed them to forget for a moment that they were each of them unwanted. It seemed an age ago that fateful night in Mystic Falls, so much had happened since, so much had changed. But not the longing to be loved, not the need to be wanted.

For a moment it seemed that Klaus and her both had achieved the impossible, they found themselves loved by the very two they joined together in order to forget. Sex with Tyler wasn't a meaningless romp, he made her feel special, loved, as though she was a part of something. Perhaps it wasn't so much him but how she felt about him, but regardless they were for a time a family, her daughter, Tyler and her. She was at peace and for a brief moment in time she had indulged herself in fantasies of enduring happiness, of belonging.

But then it crumbled, not for the all mighty Hybrid but because of him. Because of  _her_. How long might she have been able to fool herself into believing she was Tyler's first choice if not for Klaus' vengeance?

When Silas had fallen she had barely been able to focus, her body a prison she was unable to communicate with him. Utterly helpless, all her strength having seeped out of her shoulder, she could do nothing but watch the light leave his eyes.

The discordance within her was no more, or rather it was there, but no longer out of sync. It no longer had a particular place of residence, flowing within her as naturally as blood. She wasn't sure exactly what it was or what it meant, but she did know that whatever Connie had done was permanent. Caroline wasn't certain how she felt about that. She wasn't sure about a lot of things.

"Is it over?"

"As though such a thing could ever end," laugh. "No, it is not over. He is dead and there will follow a period of quiet, but it will never be over. My kind is unrelenting."

"What are you?" silence. "Angels?"

Laughter. "Did you ever notice how in the Bible, whenever God needed to punish someone, or make an example, or whenever God needed a killing, he sent an angel? Did you ever wonder what a creature like that must be like? A whole existence spent praising your God, but always with one wing dipped in blood. Would you ever really want to see an angel?"

"I guess not,"

"Old ones, Guardians, Demons, Fairies, Fey, Angels - there are others that are better suited to such titles, though we have been called each of them in our turn. No matter the name we are destruction, the nightmare, the end of all things."

"How pleasant,"

"Indeed," "I am ancient, the breath of humanity's existence nothing, barely the blink of an eye.

If not for Tyler's ill-advised need for revenge.

If not for not for that fact that he wouldn't look at her.

Each step back to their prison was an agonizing reminder that her dreams had shattered. Confirmation that Klaus' cruelty was unrivalled.

She wished that she could turn from the path, the dismal future that awaited in the devil's lair. In the end though, Hayley was a realist and as such she knew that there was no escape. She wasn't Caroline Forbes, Miss Mystic Falls, Satan's beloved. No, she was Hayley Marshall and the only thing she was ever Miss of was misfortune. She had nothing to hope for but that one day Klaus might bore of torturing them. One day he might find within his blackened heart one small ounce of mercy and allow her to die. Of course, the likelihood of such magnanimous behaviour was low, lower still if Miss Perfect should require it applied elsewhere – like towards someone who didn't almost get  _her_  killed.

How different things might have turned out had the blonde rival died. Surely Klaus would have killed her then, his rage too consuming a thing for her to survive long breathing the same air. Had Caroline died she could have at least gone to her grave believing Tyler loved her. Hayley didn't do teen drama, her hate for Caroline Forbes was of the adult variety – strong and enduring. Imagine then how overjoyed she was to be welcomed back to her personal hell by the lady of the house  _her_ self even if  _her_ presence extended the reprieve from her  _duties._

" _Caroline_ ," Tyler said her name like it was an accusation - his eyes fixed upon the blonde, burning in anger.

It was not a friendly encounter yet still it stung. Though the blonde was so obviously their jailer's paramour now, she reeked of Klaus, Tyler's gaze did not slide passed  _her_. He still engaged  _her_  in conversation. He still saw  _her_.

"Tyler," it sounded like an apology. "Hayley," not so much.

"Get out," he seethed.

"Let me explain," the blonde spoke softly in a tired sounding voice.

"No. Let me. Klaus killed thousands of people. Elena's aunt, an entire pack of hybrids – my friends. Caroline, he killed my  _mom_ ," he sounded as broken as Hayley felt.

"I  _know_ , I'm so sorry, but.." she moved closer.

"Just  _stop_.  ** _Go_**!" he screamed, practically spitting the words out.

Hayley felt an unpleasant urge to place herself between them, to protect the woman she now hated. When Tyler's eyes flashed yellow her feet moved involuntarily towards the ever decreasing space between the man she loved and the woman whose very existence destroyed any chance of happiness.

"No," Caroline's voice was firm, another step closer to a danger that effected Hayley in a way she despised.

" _Don't_ take another step, Caroline," his voice sounded pained, those killer teeth pushed through.

"I need you to…" the blonde pleaded.

He cut her off. "I said  _leave_! Klaus has put me through  _hell_ , he  _crushed_  me!" and now it was Tyler who moved closer. "And just when I thought he couldn't destroy anything else, or do anything worse…"

Hayley died a little inside with each word he spoke.

"My parents are dead…the girl that I love is sleeping with my nemesis," he sounded defeated, utterly routed. Hayley felt worse – she hadn't thought it possible, but there did exist in the world a man crueler than Klaus. It was unfortunate she was in love with him.

"I'm so sorry Ty. I didn't mean to, but I lov…"

He moved too quickly for Hayley, frozen as she was in her own pain. Her entire being quaked when she realized what she had allowed to happen - she felt for a moment utterly devastated, Klaus would not be happy. And why was that important? Why was that imperative? By the time the Sire bond pushed her forward it was too late, Caroline had already pushed Tyler off her self - the blonde's hand had risen to cover the bite on her neck.

"You bit me," she didn't sound scared, shocked yes, angry yes, but not scared. No doubt she had no reason to be, what with the cure being enamored with her and all.

"I thought you were better," he continued as though nothing had happened.

"Why because being good comes so easy to me? Well guess what Tyler. It doesn't. I am a vampire. I have the same impulses as you. Yes, I am with Klaus. But you walked away from me. So just get over it or get out of my life, but I'm done feeling guilty. And you know what? I'm  _not_  sorry I love him," her voice was so even it was chilling. Caroline's hand left her neck and Hayley was astounded to note the wound had healed, no evidence of the attack but the blood that was drying on her skin.

"He's a  _monster_ ," he was red with rage.

"You'll never move passed it, will you?" she asked him as though the answer wasn't obvious.

Caroline moved forward again, closed the distance so quickly that Hayley's eyes were incapable of following - had the blonde always been so fast? The blonde held Tyler against the wall and fixed her gaze on his venomous one. "You will go back to Mystic Falls, you will forget about your revenge against Klaus," she paused as Tyler repeated her words back. "Klaus did not kill your mother, it was an accident. You are grateful to Klaus for turning you into a Hybrid and you will never betray him. There was a time when the two of you competed for my affections, but that is long passed." This time when Tyler repeated back the lines Caroline's gaze meet Hayley's. The blonde seemed to consider something and then turned back to meet Tyler's zombie like gaze. "You are in love with Hayley, you are not in love with me, we are no more than friends."

As Tyler repeated the words Hayley did not look at him, focusing instead on the path a single tear took from Caroline's eye. When the tear dripped off the blonde's chin to wet the dried blood on her collar bone Hayley looked back up to find herself eye to eye with the woman she most envied. "How is Katherine?"

"She's dying," Hayley answered.

The blonde sighed sadly, closed her eyes and then took a deep breath before opening them and catching Hayley's gaze once more. "You will go with Tyler, you will remain loyal to Klaus and his family," Hayley repeated the words back though in truth she didn't need to be compelled to do as Caroline wished. "Tyler loves you and since he left me for you he has never given you reason to doubt that," the blonde concluded.

Hayley repeated the words and felt suddenly lighter, as though all her woes had vanished. She wondered briefly why they were in the mansion's dungeon, but then another Hybrid entered with her baby girl in his arms. Caroline took the babe from him and then handed her over. With her daughter in her arms and Tyler's soft eyes drinking her in, Hayley felt at peace.

"Go now," Caroline ordered, waving them in the direction of the retreating Hybrid. They followed him out, got into the car he indicated and drove away without looking back.

* * *

It had been a long day and Caroline wanted nothing more than to rest in Klaus' arms, but there remained one final task before she might sooth her troubled soul within his loving embrace. And seeing as she had already made one of his Hybrids retrieve Hayley's child and sent the little girl off with the two Hybrid's Klaus most hated to live out their days as a happy little family, she figured she may as well go for broke.

Which brought her to the deathbed of the woman he had hunted for 500 years, the very woman who had once killed her. She had spoken to the doctor upon her arrival and knew that there was no possibility of Katherine awakening, still there was more than one way to communicate. Taking Katherine's hand in hers she entered her consciousness finding her one time nemesis weeping surrounded by, Caroline presumed, her murdered family. Katherine did not notice her so consumed was she in her grief, not for the first time did Caroline wonder how different a person Katherine might have been before her run in with Klaus.

"Katherine," she softly called to her.

As though tasered Katherine leaped to her feet, desperately wiping the tears from her face. "What are  _you_  doing here?"

"I'm not  _here,_ well I am here obviously," and she earned herself a glare. "I'm in your head, you're dying."

"Fantastic! I do one nice thing and it gets me killed," the brunette threw up her hands. Katherine turned her face away, but was then facing the gruesome body of her father hanging on the wall by a sword. "I suppose I deserve it," she murmured, her voice cracking.

"Well you did kill me, but I'm weirdly better off," she tried to light the mood. Judging by Katherine shattered expression she wasn't overly successful. "This is what Klaus did to your family?" she acknowledged their surroundings.

"This is what I did to my family," and she truly seemed to believe it.

"This wasn't your fault, you didn't kill them," Caroline had never thought she'd end up empathizing with Katherine Pierce, but she was.

"I should have let him kill me," Katherine was no longer hiding her tears.

"But then Elena would have died in the car crash, I'd never have meet Stefan, I'd never have met..." she cut herself off, it probably wasn't the best of taste to admit she was happy she met Klaus. "Damon," she ended none too convincingly.

"Why are you here?" Katherine managed to sound almost bitchy.

"I'm here to kill you," she told her with her most serious expression whilst slowly erasing the ghastly scene replacing it with the hospital in which Katherine currently resided.

"You can't just wait?"

"Well, I could but then you'd be dead dead and I do kind of owe you, what with your turning me and the whole trying to save me at the mansion thing," she smiled brightly.

"I didn't try to save you," Katherine muttered, almost sounding embarrassed. A moment later her eyes narrowed; "Wait, did you say you can save me?"

"I think so," she tried her best to sound confident.

"So why haven't you then?" she asked in an impatient tone.

"I'm not sure it will work, so I wanted to ask you first if there's anything you wanted me to tell...well, anyone?" she meant Elijah and they both knew it.

"Tell Damon he's a dick," Katherine quickly replied.

"Okay," she offered a small smile and then withdrew. Standing above Katherine's prone form she offered a silent prayer that this would work, then bit into her wrist and held it over Katherine's mouth. When she was certain the brunette had consumed enough she eye'd the pillow for a few seconds before opting for the more tradition neck snap. The machine's immediately began beeping, but a nurse appeared shortly thereafter and turned them off - no crash carts for terminal patients after all.

Five minutes later Elijah burst into the room looking less than his normal dapper self. His face fell when his eyes came to rest on Katherine's still form.

"She was dying," Caroline began to explain.

"She's dead," it seemed as though he was begging her to disagree.

"Maybe not," she offered what she could. "I gave her my blood."

"I tried that, her body rejected it," he sounded like a drowning man.

"I'm not like you," she told him softly and then to prove her correct Katherine Pierce woke up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The line about Angels is from a less than stellar movie called "The Prophecy".  
> As always I stole lines from TVD.


	44. Chapter 44

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because a Klaroline story should end with a Klaroline scene. Warning this contains light BDSM scenes.

He sat in the darkness stewing in his anger and waiting for the latest in a long line of betrayers. The moment she entered the property he was aware of it, with all the doors between them open there was nothing to obstruct his hearing. With his ears he measured each of her unhurried steps; she paused at the house's entrance taking a deep unnecessary breath before tracing the path to where he awaited her. As the distance shortened between them he began to feel warmth brewing in his chest, her proximity making his very soul sing. It was not enough to dissipate his burning anger, but it stopped him from flashing from his makeshift throne to wrap his hands around her alabaster throat.

Though he was certain she could taste his anger she did not slow, walking into the dungeon as though it was a sitting room in which she was the guest of honor. Sitting upon the chair with steepled fingers he cocked his head as she entered with a smile fixed upon her face. Self-preservation instincts clearly lacking she moved closer to him, her infuriating smile unfaltering.

"Caroline," he hissed her name out through his teeth, both in condemnation for her transgressions and a warning to keep her distance.

"Klaus," she returned, still smiling, still moving closer. "Where's Rebekah," she softly asked.

"Cured," he sneered injecting all his rage at Rebekah into that one word as though he could curse her with it.

Caroline inclined her head ever so slightly, her eyes remaining fixed upon his own. "By choice?" she asked as though she already knew the answer.

"She chose to betray me, love," he advised and closed the distance between them. "There are always consequences for those that betray me Caroline," he breathed the words upon her lips.

"I let Tyler and Hayley go," she whispered back as though he wasn't already aware. As though they weren't having the conversation in the dungeon she released them from.

He trailed his fingers down her face ever so lightly tracing her features. She was exceedingly lucky that he loved her more than his own life because the control required not to tear her in two would not have been possible otherwise. "Yes, you did," he whispered while his fingers traveled lower to trace her collar bone.

She had to have known how dangerous the position she resided was, but still she smiled holding her ground as though convinced he would never hurt her. Regardless of what she did, of what she might do.

Klaus felt a small degree of pleasure in her assurance that he loved her enough to restrain his baser instincts, but he felt a much higher degree of recalcitrance. That she should stand before Him, the Original Hybrid, after such betrayal without an ounce of fear was odious. She should have been on her knees begging his forgiveness – at the thought of such an image more than just his anger stirred.

"I turned Katherine," she said it as though it was nothing. As though it was not a further betrayal.

He withdrew his fingers, now more inclined to tear at her flesh than trace it. His entire being was radiating anger and yet she remained unmoving mocking him with that persistent smile. Klaus felt his fangs drop, his eyes turn yellow.

"You really should punish me," she breathed as for the first time since entering she touched him, tracing the growing bulge in his jeans. Her smile, one moment insufferable, suddenly seemed inviting. A promise of fulfillment. She moved and circled to the seat behind him while he tracked her with his eyes, smile still firmly in place. "Punish me Klaus," she invited moving passed the chair to the hanging manacles. There was a clink as she sealed the first around one of her wrists, she held the other above her head and in short order he closed the other cuff around it.

Without preamble he tore the clothes from her body, his claws slicing shallow furrows in her skin. Though soon healed they left behind them trails of red ambrosia that his tongue greedily lapped up. Once he had laved the blood from her body he turned his attention to the implements the chamber held, most were not acceptable for his purpose. Now that his lust dominated his anger he had no desire to rip into her flesh, to truly hurt her. Yet even she had acknowledged punishment was required. So punish her he would.

He selected a large wooden paddle, he could not ever recall having used it – not the best instrument if ones desire was to inflict untold suffering, but perfect for his wayward mate. Pulling the chains taunt so that her lovely form was stretched invitingly he snaked one hand to cup her sex from behind and then propelled the paddle into her arse with force. It connected with a satisfying smack. Caroline thrust forward with the impact then pushed backwards as his fingers dug in, a short cry leaving her throat. He hit her again, and again, and again. For the next twenty she remained perfectly silent; then each hit brought a strangled cry from her pouty lips until the fortieth when she began intermittent grunting. By the fiftieth her grunts had turned into moans.

Somewhere near the thirtieth blow she had begun to rock her hips at every impact as pain began to turn to pleasure. He hit her until her arse was rosy red, her breathing laboured, and his fingers slick with the juices of her arousal. The air so thick with her scent was intoxicating to Klaus; he threw the paddle and replaced it with his hand massaging her rosy flesh.

"Klaus," she begged between lustful moans.

His erection now painfully tight he torn his own clothes from his body and pushing her legs apart entered her from behind in one powerful movement. Punishment was forgotten for a time, his only concern now to sate the sexual hunger she engendered in him. He thrust within her hard and fast, forcing her feet from the ground as he bowed her body in order to burrow his cock just that little bit deeper. As he approached climax he moved one hand from her hip to the cluster of nerves at the apex of her thighs rolling the nub between his fingers until she was screaming in release her inner walls clamping so tightly it was painful - a delicious kind of pain that resulted in him joining her in ecstasy.

When the last of his cum had drained from his cock he embedded his fangs in her throat and prolonged his ecstasy draining her sweet nectar. As he drank his fill she came a second time and massaged his semi-erect member back to steel hardness. Withdrawing his fangs he released her from her bonds and whilst still buried in her warmth moved until he could bend her over the chair.

Taking her a second time he positioned his wrist before her open mouth, as she bit deep he could not prevent the groan from passing his lips. Klaus came hard, reaching heights he would not have thought possible. Betrayal had never been sweeter, punishment never more rewarding. It took time for him to recover the second time, but as soon as he had he took her a third time – on her back with her feet by her head. He allowed her no control, dominating her at every turn, until he had finally rutted away every ounce of anger at her.

Coming down from his sexual high he rolled her on top of him cradling her against his chest. Her trespasses long forgotten, his Heaven within her embracing arms.


End file.
